Portuguese Chili Beans

This Portuguese-style chili is built from dried kidney beans soaked overnight, browned ground chuck, and a tomato sauce spiked with an unexpected ingredient: ground cloves. That tiny pinch of cloves adds a warm, slightly sweet spice note that sets this apart from Tex-Mex chili and gives it a distinctly Portuguese character.

Brown the onion and garlic first, then the beef chuck, letting it develop color before the tomato sauce goes in. The whole red chili pepper simmers in the sauce and infuses heat gradually. Leave it whole for milder heat, or break it open for more fire.

Boiling the sauce for 10 to 15 minutes before adding the cooked beans concentrates the flavors and thickens the base. The beans then simmer in that thick, seasoned sauce for another 25 minutes to absorb everything.

Kitchen Tips

• Soak the beans overnight and cook until tender before adding to the chili. Undercooked beans will stay hard no matter how long they simmer in the sauce.
• Use bacon drippings instead of oil for the saute if you have them. It adds a smoky richness that complements the Portuguese flavors.
• Mash the garlic cloves rather than mincing. Mashed garlic releases more flavor into the oil during sauteing.
• Serve with thick slices of crusty Portuguese bread to soak up the sauce.

Variations

• Add Portuguese linguica or chourico sausage alongside the ground chuck for a more traditional flavor.
• Use pinto beans or a mix of kidney and black beans for variety.
• Stir in a splash of red wine vinegar at the end for a bright, acidic finish.