Eat- the- Bowl Mole Chili..Let the Games Begin!!!!

Eat-the-Bowl Mole-Style Chili

It is time once again for the Royal Foodie Joust; the creation of the talented and entrepreneurial Jenn at Leftover Queen .

Each month 3 ingredients are chosen by the previous months winner. Last months rights go to Ley at Cilantro and Lime who chose....

chocolate, grain and chilies

Britanny at The Pie Lady kindly suggested that my entry a few months back of Chocolate Zucchini Cake with Spiced Chocolate Sauce would have been perfect for this month's joust. In keeping with the way things have been with me I am making something savory this time around.

For this month's challenge I chose:

cocoa powder, cornmeal and ancho chilies

LET THE GAMES BEGIN!!!!!

**Eat- the- Bowl Mole-Style Chili**

2 large onions, chopped

1/4 cup olive oil
2 (2 pound) meat loaf combo packs
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/3 cup ancho chili powder
3 tablespoons ground cumin
3 tablespoons dried oregano
1 tablespoons ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1-1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
8 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup tomato juice

2 (28 oz/796 mL) cans tomatoes, crushed through your fingers

1 19 oz/540 mL can dark red kidney beans
2 cups low-sodium beef broth
2 tablespoons yellow cornmeal

1/2 cup cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
12 crusty torpedo rolls

Cook the onions, in the oil in a Dutch oven or heavy soup pot for 20 minutes. Simultaneously, break up the meat, place it in another large pan, sprinkle the salt over it, and cook it down, breaking apart the meat with a wooden spoon as it cooks.

At the end of the 20 minutes, sprinkle the onions with the seasonings and garlic and stir. Add the meat. Let this mixture cook an additional 5 minutes. Don't rush this part; you really want to let the spices cook in the onions and hot fat to develop their full flavor along with the beef. Time the 5 minutes if necessary and stir diligently, because the spices may stick to the bottom of the pan. (If they do, that's okay.)

Add the tomato juice, canned tomatoes and beef broth and bring the mixture to a boil, scraping up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan and incorporating them into the sauce. Lower the heat and let simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour, placing a spatter screen over the pot to minimize any mess. In the last 15 minutes stir in beans. Stir in the cornmeal, cook an additional 3 minutes, and cool. Taste to correct seasoning when warm. (If freezing, divide into containers and freeze).

To Assemble:

Cut out wedge along top of each roll; pull out some of the inside to hollow out "bowl" with side at least 1/2-inch thick. Place on plate; spoon in chili and sprinkle with cheese.

NOTE: Ancho chili powder and cocoa give the chili a distinctively rich, dark, smoky flavor. A combo pack of meat loaf mix consists of 1 pound ground beef, 1/2 pound ground veal, 1/2 pound ground pork.

Serves 12

Ole Mole!!!!!

You are reading this post on More Than Burnt Toast at http://morethanburnttoast.blogspot.com. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author/owner of More Than Burnt Toast. All rights reserved by Valerie Harrison.