My grandpa Carlos was quite the hipster in his day. He owned a nightclub called El Matador, drove a corvette, and loved his bling. Of course, this came later in life – after years of working hard for others.Less flashy, more family, he was also the cook in the house. Two of the recipes my mom passed down to me are my grandmother’s chorizo recipe and the charro bean recipe my grandpa used it in.With pounds of stewed bacon, chorizo, and ham hocks, the charro (Mexican cowboy) beans are a pork-lover’s dream. They do take time, so we tend to make them for parties once or twice a year only. When we do, there are never leftovers.
Charro Chile Recipe Without the Beans
With Cinco de Mayo on the horizon, I decided to make a pot of chili – without the beans or hamhocks, that uses most of the same ingredients as my grandpa’s charro bean recipe. Instead of beans and chorizo, I used ground turkey and chorizo spices.
Serve with fresh cilantro, chopped green onions, or chopped avocado.
Carlos’ Charro No-bean Chili for Cinco de Mayo
Serves: 8-10
Ingredients
- ½ pound of raw bacon, chopped
- 1 pound ground turkey or beef
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 red pepper, chopped
- 1 green pepper, chopped
- 1 small zucchini (about 2 cups of chopped)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 14-ounce cans of chopped tomatoes
- 1 4-ounce can of diced green chilies
- 2 Tbsp cumin
- 1 to 2 Tbsp chile powder (or pan-toasted and then ground dried ancho chiles)
- 1 tsp salt
- Optional: 1 tsp ground chipotle pepper or smoked paprika
Instructions
- Pre-heat a soup pot to medium-high heat. Chop half a pound of raw bacon into 1” pieces and add it to the pan. Saute for 5 minutes. Bacon should be tender, not crispy. Do not drain off bacon grease.
- Add in 1 pound of ground turkey or beef and cook until just done. While it is cooking, chop up 1 medium union, 1 red pepper, 1 green pepper, a zucchini (about 2 cups of chopped zucchini), and 4 cloves of garlic. Stir them into the pot when the meat is ready.
- Stir in two 14-ounce cans of chopped tomatoes and one 4-ounce can of diced green chilies. Season with 2 Tbsp cumin, 1 to 2 Tbsp chile powder, 1 tsp salt, and a tsp of ground chipotle pepper or smoked paprika.
- Reduce heat to low, cover pot, and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour.
- Serve with diced green onion, fresh cilantro leaves, hot sauce, and/or chopped avocado on top.