BLACK BEAN-CHICKEN CHILI

Black Bean-Chicken Chili image

Yield serves 4

Number Of Ingredients 17

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1 large yellow onion, peeled, quartered
5 cloves garlic, peeled
2 green poblano chiles, halved
2 jalapeño chiles, halved
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
2 cups dried black beans, rinsed and soaked overnight
6 cups chicken stock (page 91) or water
1 (16-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, undrained
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons dried Mexican oregano
1 cup beer
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup grated Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese, for garnish
1/2 cup sour cream, for garnish

Steps:

Preheat the broiler. Place the onion, garlic, poblanos, and jalapeños on a baking sheet, with the chiles skin side up. Place under the broiler and grill for about 10 minutes, until the onion and garlic are quite soft and the chile skins are blackened. Cover the chiles with a damp kitchen towel and let rest for about 20 minutes. Peel off the skins or scrape them off using a paring knife. Remove the stems and seeds. Coarsely chop the chiles, garlic, and onion.
Grind the cumin and coriander seeds in a coffee mill or with a mortar and pestle.
Drain the beans and place them in the slow cooker. Add the chiles, garlic, onion, ground spices, water, tomatoes, chili powder, and oregano. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours. Add the beer, cocoa powder, and chicken and continue cooking on low for 2 hours, until the meat is very tender. (In a pinch, you could put all the ingredients in the pot at the same time and cook for 6 to 8 hours. By adding the chicken during the last 2 hours, you will retain some of the chunks.) Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve at once.
variation
Use 6 chicken legs or 10 drumsticks rather than the cubed chicken breast. Add chorizo sausage for additional flavor.