Liam & Rachel's Chilli Con Carne

Method

1. Chop the onion, pepper and carrot into small chunks and mince the garlic cloves.
2. Put your pan on the hob over a medium heat. Add 1 tbsp oil and leave it for 1-2 minutes until hot. Add the onion and cook, stirring often for about 5 minutes, or until the onion is soft. Add in the garlic, red pepper, carrot, 1 heaped tsp hot chilli powder and flakes, 1 tsp paprika and 1 tsp ground cumin. Give it a good stir, then leave it to cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Turn the heat up a bit, add the minced beef to the pan and break it up with your spoon or spatula. Keep stirring and breaking it up for at least 5 minutes, until all the mince is in uniform, mince-sized lumps and there are no more pink bits. Make sure you keep the heat hot enough for the meat to fry and become brown. Add the red wine and Worcester sauce once meat it browned.
4. Mix 1 beef stock into 300ml hot water. Pour this into the pan with the mince mixture. Add a tin of chopped tomatoes and a squirt of about 2 tbsp tomato purée and stir the sauce well. Season with salt and pepper too. Simmer it gently. Bring the whole thing to the boil, give it a good stir and put a lid on the pan. Turn down the heat until it is gently bubbling and leave it for 20 minutes. Check on the pan occasionally to stir it and make sure the sauce doesn’t catch on the bottom of the pan or isn’t drying out. If it is, add a couple of tablespoons of water and make sure that the heat really is low enough. After simmering gently, the saucy mince mixture should look thick, moist and juicy. Now add a tin of baked beans and cook through. Bring to the boil again, and gently bubble without the lid for another 10 minutes, adding a little more water if it looks too dry.
5. Now replace the lid, turn off the heat and leave your chilli to stand for 10 minutes before serving.
6. Serve with soured cream and plain boiled long grain rice.
7. Put into Thermos and head out on a chilly winter walk!