Cowpoke Chili
Submitted by preflite
Slow-simmered cowpoke chili loaded with pinto beans, slab bacon, ancho chilies, and serrano peppers. A hearty, smoky bowl of ranch-style comfort that warms you right down to your boots.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
2 hrsREADY
3 hrsThis ain’t your grocery-store-packet chili, partner. Cowpoke Chili is the real deal: dried pinto beans simmered low and slow with thick-cut slab bacon, smoky ancho chilies, and fiery serranos until every spoonful is thick, rich, and deeply satisfying.
The bacon rind goes right into the pot with the beans, melting down into pure porky goodness that infuses every bite. Crushed coriander seeds add an earthy warmth that rounds out the heat from those peppers.
Plan ahead here. Three hours of gentle cooking transforms humble dried beans into something that tastes like it’s been bubbling over a campfire all afternoon.
Ranch Hand Tips
- Don’t skip the bacon rind. It renders slowly into the bean broth and adds silky body you can’t get any other way.
- Ancho chilies bring smoke, serranos bring heat. Adjust the serrano count up or down depending on how much fire you want.
- Let it rest overnight. Like most bean chilis, this one tastes even better the next day after the flavors meld together.
Ingredients
Directions
Remove the rind from the bacon and cut rind into ½ inch squares.
Cut bacon into small pieces; set aside.
Put the rind, beans, onions, grarlic and Ancho peppers into a large heavy kettle.
Add water and bring to a boil.
Lower the flame, cover the kettle and let the beans cook gently about 1½ hours.
Add salt and cook uncovered for 15 minutes.
In a separate pan, fry diced bacon until slightly crisp.
Add tomatoes and remaining ingredients to bacon.
Cook this mixture over medium flame for about 10 minutes.
Skim off excess fat.
Add bacon and tomato mixture to beans and continue cooking uncovered, over a low flame for 1 hour or until beans are very tender.
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