RECIPES & ARCHIVES

2 large Spanish onions, peeled

6 cloves garlic, peeled

1/4 pound lean bacon

2 tablespoons coriander seeds, toasted

2 tablespoons cumin seeds, toasted

1 tablespoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons paprika

1 tablespoons cayenne pepper

2 to 4 tablespoons ground New Mexican chili pepper

3 to 5 dried chili peppers, crumbled

2 28-ounce cans of imported Italian tomatoes, with juice

8 ounces of beer

2 1/2 pounds of very lean ground beef

Salt to taste

In a pot combine the kidney, white, pinto and black beans with water to cover and soak them for 8 hours or overnight. Drain and cover with fresh water. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to simmer and cook until beans are just tender, about 1 hour.

Place the onions, cut into several pieces, and the garlic in a food processor and, using the steel blade and the on-off button, chop them fine, being careful not to overprocess.

Chop the bacon and put it in a large pot or Dutch oven. Saute the bacon until it begins to crisp. Add the onions and garlic and cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add all the spices, the chili pepper and the crumbled chilies and cook an additional 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juice and the beer. Simmer for a half-hour.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet brown the ground beef in batches and drain the fat.

Add the beef to the tomato mixture. Drain the cooked beans, reserving the liquid, and add them to the pot. Add salt to taste and let the mixture simmer for about 1 hour. If it is too dry, add reserved liquid from the beans. Serves eight to 10.