Vegetarian Chili

For me, chili is all about the beans, complemented by a savory sauce and plenty of tasty garnishes. I think adding grains and lots of vegetables just detracts from the main event. My version includes dark beer, dried chiles, and cocoa powder to create deep bass notes, reminiscent of Oaxacan mole. My Brown Butter Cornbread is a great accompaniment. The pressure cooker is my favorite way to make chili. It allows me to cook the beans from scratch and include the bean cooking liquid as part of the broth. The pressure cooker requires about 8 cups of liquid for 1 pound of beans (consult your manual to be sure). 

This makes a soup rather than a thick chili, so I just drain off the sauce and quickly simmer it down to the right consistency, then add it back to the beans. If you don't have a pressure cooker, you can still make this dish. Just precook the beans and follow the instructions below. If you have the time, make this chili a couple of hours in advance, or even the day before you plan to serve it. The flavors only get better when they have time to rest.