A Recipe for Turkey Chili

by Andrew Elmore

• 1/2 lb dry kidney beans
• 1 lb dry pinto beans
• 2 quarts water
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 bay leaves (optional)
• 32 oz can of diced tomatoes
• 2 Tbsp chili powder
• 2 Tbsp cumin

Rinse the beans, and look for pebbles or chunks of dirt. Soak the beans overnight in the water.

The beans will soak up a lot of water; add enough to cover the beans. Add the salt & bay leaves and cook until the beans are tender: probably an hour or two.

When the beans are just soft, add the tomatoes. The acid in the tomatoes will stop the beans from getting mushy. Add the cumin and chili powder.

• 1 medium onion
• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 habaneros, or other hot peppers
• 1 Tbsp oregano
• 4-6 cloves garlic
• 1/2 cup cheap beer, like Pabst
• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 bunch of cilantro
• 1 cup frozen or fresh corn

Chop the onion, garlic, and jalapenos, then saute them in a large frying pan with the vegetable oil. Cook them slowly until they're lightly browned and soft. Add the oregano, and cook for 5 minutes longer. Add the cooked onions to the beans.

Cook the ground turkey in the frying pan until the meat is just cooked, then add to the chili.

Deglaze the frying pan with the beer, just to rinse out all the oregano leaves, and it to the beans as well.

Simmer awhile, somewhere between 15 and 45 minutes.

Chop the cilantro. Add the corn & cilantro 5 minutes before you're ready to serve. What goes with the turkey chili? Cornbread -- I recommend the cornbread recipe in Laurel's Bread Book.

When serving, garnish with a sprig of fresh cilantro and a sprinkling of grated Monterey Jack cheese.

Substitutions:

• You could probably just use a can each of pinto & kidney beans.
• Ground turkey is less greasy than ground beef, but you could use beef instead.
• If it's not spicy enough, add powdered cayenne to taste.