Football Food: Irish Chili

Ok, I need to complain a little about the weather. Football seasons calls for COOL weather to make all this rib-sticking food seem appropriate. However, the DC area has been in the grip of a late heat wave and it’s been close to 100 degrees. Um, hello? Climate! Clue in and get with the program! Chili, Irish or otherwise, is not nearly as appealing when it’s hot and humid outside!

This recipe is actually adapted from Jamie Oliver’s recipe for steak and Guinness pie. I think I’ve mentioned before that I only like beef in ground form because I have texture issues with meat.  As a result, I occasionally find recipes that call for hunks of beef and turn them into hamburger-based masterpieces. This is one of those cases. The best part of the recipe is that fact that it calls for 2 1/2 cups of Guinness. One can of Guinness is 2 cups which means you need to open and use 1/4 of a second can and really, after that, you have no choice but the drink the rest as you cook the rest of the meal. The things we do to feed our families…

Ingredients:

• 1.5 lbs ground beef
• 2 tbsps flour
• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 2 carrots, roughly chopped
• 4 stalks of celery, roughly chopped
• 2 parsnips, roughly chopped
• I handful mixed herbs – rosemary, thyme, and sage are what I used most recently.
• 2 1/2 cups Guinness
• 2 14 oz cans of tomatoes
• 2 potatoes, cubed

Fry up the onions in some olive oil until they’re soft. Add in the ground beef and brown it. Add the carrots, parsnips, celery, and herbs and fry a couple of minutes longer. Add the Guinness and bring to a boil before adding the tomatoes and potatoes. Reduce the heat and sprinkle in the flour and stir it in to thicken it. Let it simmer for at least an hour.

Serve with more Guinness. Enjoy!