Chicken and Red Bean Chili

INGREDIENTS:
• 2 pounds chicken (boneless chicken breasts or thighs, diced)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 medium green bell pepper (diced)
• 1 medium red bell pepper (diced)
• ½ cup onion (chopped)
• 1 clove garlic (minced)
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 (14-ounce) cans red beans (small red beans or kidney beans)
• 1 (28-ounce) can tomatoes (diced)
• 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
• 1 (4-ounce) can green chili peppers (chopped, mild)
• 1 cup chicken stock (preferably unsalted)
• optional: 1 teaspoon sugar
• optional: 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)
• kosher salt (to taste)
• pepper (to taste)

DIRECTIONS:
• Heat the olive oil in a 5-quart Dutch oven or kettle over high heat. Add the chicken to the hot oil and cook for about 4 to 5 minutes, or until thoroughly cooked and tender. With a slotted spoon, remove chicken to bowl; refrigerate it until you are ready to add it back to the chili.
• Add butter to the same pan over medium heat; cook the green and red peppers, onion, and garlic until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.
• Add the chili powder and cumin; stir to blend and cook for 1 minute. Stir in kidney beans with their liquid, tomatoes with their liquid, tomato paste, green chili peppers, and chicken stock. Add the sugar and cayenne pepper, if using. Bring the chili to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Simmer, uncovered, for about 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken back to the pot and continue cooking for 5 to 10 minutes. Taste and add kosher salt and ground black pepper, as desired.
• Ladle the chili into bowls and garnish as desired. You can top the chili with sour cream, chopped green onions, cilantro, or shredded cheese if you like. It goes great with cornbread or crackers on the side.
• Makes 8 servings. Leftovers can be refrigerated or freeze in individual airtight containers.
© Recipe courtesy of The Spruce Eats

JANUARY WINE CLUB PAIRING:

Casas Del Toqui
Gran Toqui
Syrah
Cachapoal Valley, Chile

BOLD WINE STYLE

In 1994, Château Larose Trintaudon, a major French wine producer from the Bordeaux region, partnered with traditional wine producers from the Totihue region in Chile and together they founded Casas del Toqui. Recently, their legacy was recaptured by a Chilean family with a great passion for wine, contributing with their own unique and distinctive mark. The Cachapoal Valley is renowned worldwide for its Mediterranean weather, where the Coastal Range and the Andes create one of the best soils in the region to produce high quality wines. The terroir of Casas del Toqui includes a wide range of soil types. Each plot of land is handled individually according to the unique characteristics of the terroir, producing a rich harvest with balanced maturity.

“Very intense purplish red color. Aromas of red fruits, spices, cassis, and leather. Full-bodied on the palate, with an interesting marriage of fruit and wood, it is a very complex wine. Long finish and great persistence. Serve with roast lamb and goat cheese.” – Vicente Johnson, Winemaker

Winemaker: Vicente Johnson
Appellation: Cachapoal Valley, Chile
Varietal: 100% Syrah
Analysis: 14% alcohol / volume
Critical Acclaim: Reviewed & approved by Doug Frost, Master Sommelier and Master of Wine.

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