cehwiedel.com

madly enthusiastic

freelance writing & photography

& recipes

2 medium yellow onions, peeled & sliced
1-1/2 lbs beef stew meat, cubed
5 cloves garlic
1 Tb chili powder
1/2 tsp cayenne
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp cumin
1 Tb grated Mexican chocolate
3 8-oz cans low sodium tomato sauce
1 4-oz can mild diced green chile peppers
1 16-oz can each black beans, kidney beans & pinto beans, drained & rinsed

1. Place brisket in slow cooker. Cover with vegetables. Add bay leaves and peppercorns.
2. Brown beef, onions and garlic in sauté pan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until all sides of meat are browned and onions are limp.
3. Put browned beef mixture in slow cooker. Add garlic, chili powder, cayenne, oregano, thyme, cumin and chocolate. Stir to distribute spices.
4. Add tomato sauce and stir to coat.
5. Turn on low and cook eight to ten hours, or overnight.
6. An hour or so before serving, add diced chili peppers and beans. Heat through.

Makes 8 servings

Note: I use Ibarra™ brand Mexican chocolate. It is slightly sweetened, with added cinnamon. If you cannot find a suitable Mexican chocolate, try using dark chocolate and 1/4 tsp cinnamon.

Note: Draining and rinsing the canned beans removes possibly huge amounts of sodium. Check the label of your canned beans.