Meal for the Week: Fiery Cocoa Chili

Sundays are my cooking days. I wake up, prepare my menu and grocery list, brave the Sunday grocery crowd, and spend the afternoon cooking a large meal for the week. Next week will be a short one with New Year's (my company is giving us the day after too) so I don't need too much. This week's meal is inspired from The Clothes Make the Girl. I usually cook this chili on Sunday evenings and refrigerate overnight when done. This way I can skim any harden fat from the top. 

Fiery Cocoa Chili (P, W30)

Ingredients
Coconut oil - may use olive oil or butter
2 medium onions, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 lbs ground meat - Recommended: 1lb beef and 1lb bison 
1 tsp dried oregano
2 tbs chipotle chili powder - may use regular chili powder if you don't want it fiery
2 tbs cumin
1.5 tbs unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp ground allspice 
1.5 tsp kosher salt
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
1 can (14.5 oz) fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1 can (14.5 oz) beef broth
water

Start by chopping your onions and garlic. Heat oil of your choice on med-high in a dutch oven. Once oil is warm, add onions and cook for about 5 mins. Add minced garlic to onions and cook for about 30 seconds. 

*Kitchen Gadget Alert*

If you have Christmas gifts that you don't know what to do with, I HIGHLY  recommend investing in decent knives. I own the Victorinox 4-piece knife set. You really don't need any thing else. That knife set you see in my photos? Never used!

Next, add your meat. I swear organic meat smells more meaty. Here's my brief plug for organic meat: this is a large meal for the week, splurge and get the good stuff. 
Use your spoon to chop the meat to pieces. Now gather your spices. If you want to be fancy and expose the spice flavors to the max, dump all spices in a mortar and pestle. Grind the spices together. I love the smoky smell of chipotle powder. If you aren't feeling kitchen fancy, just gather your spices in a bowl.

Once your meat is brown, dump your spices and mix well. Next dump your tomato paste and mix again. Your meat will be fragrant and tempting! 

Next dump your can of diced tomatoes. Fill the can about 2/3 with water and dump that too. Then pour your beef broth. Bring the chili to a boil. 

Reduce heat to low and simmer for two hours. 

Extra process: Place pot in fridge overnight. Next day skim harden fat off.

Serve warm with perhaps a baked potato and enjoy every bite!