Delicious Chilli Con Carne - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 large onions or 2 banana shallots, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 red chili pepper, chopped
2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves picked and roughly chopped
olive oil, for frying
500 g good quality beef mince
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3 fresh tomatoes or 1 beef tomatoes, roughly chopped
400 g chopped tomatoes
100 -200 ml chicken stock or 100 -200 ml beef stock
3 tablespoons tomato puree
1 cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
400 g kidney beans, drained and rinsed
salt and pepper
boiled cooked rice, to serve

Preparation

Sweat the onion, garlic, chilli and thyme in 2 tablespoons oil in a large saucepan. At the same time, brown the mince in a separate pan over moderate heat in a little oil.
Add the dried spices to the onion mixture and cook until they release their aroma. Then stir in the beef and mix well. Add the fresh and tinned tomatoes and leave to cook down a little for about 5 minutes.
Pour in the chicken or beef stock and stir in tomato puree to taste. Drop the cinnamon and bay leaf in then bring to the boil and leave to simmer.
Once the sauce is beginning to thicken add the kidney beans and leave to cook for another 5-10 minutes to allow the beans to soak up the flavours. Check for seasoning.
Serve over steaming hot rice.