As I shopped the mountains of fresh produce at Findlay Market during my weekly visit, I came across cute little baskets filled with a variety of sweet and hot peppers for only $2. Doug and I can never seem to get enough chile in our lives, so I knew the little box of peppers wouldn’t go to waste.

With the last days of winter most definitely upon us (it’s gonna be 60 here in Cincinnati for the rest of the week!), I realized it was time for one last batch of chili, and I really wanted to come up with a new version to try and beat my all-time favorite chili recipe, my Pumpkin-Turkey Chili—and I think I might have done it!

With the little box of chiles and a Cooking Light recipe for Jalapeno-Poblano Chili as my inspiration, I came up with a super yummy Four-Chile Chili that any chili-loving man or woman can put together in about 90 minutes, including cook time. Of course, some folks like to simmer their chili for a few hours, and that would be OK here too.

I used green bell pepper, roasted poblanos, Anaheim chiles, and jalapeno to make this chili, but you can use whatever combination of peppers you have on hand. Here, the bell pepper imparts that traditional chili flavor, the poblanos add a smokey touch, the jalapeno gives the chili heat, and the Anaheim chiles lend a bright color and sweet chile flavor.

I decided to use ground sirloin instead of ground chuck to keep this chili a little lighter and less fatty—and you can’t tell the difference in the finished product, either. Of course, no manly chili recipe can be without beer; I used a porter, but any dark ale or lager will do.

Other traditional chili ingredients also make an appearance: onion, chili powder, ground cumin, fire-roasted tomatoes, crushed tomatoes and black beans. We happen to be partial to black beans, but if you prefer kidney beans in your chili, go for it! Like all homemade chili, this one is even better the next day, so you can always make it a day ahead.

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Four-Chile Chili

Inspired by a basket of peppers at the farmer’s market, this chili incorporates two mild and two spicy chiles—bell pepper and Anaheim peppers, poblano peppers and jalapenos—for a multi-layered chile flavor. Serve the chili with shredded cheddar or chihuahua, sour cream (or Mexican crema, my fave), and minced cilantro. Remove the seeds from the jalapeno if you want less heat.



2 poblano peppers

1½ pounds ground sirloin

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1 large onion, chopped

2 Anaheim chiles (also called New Mexico chiles), or other mild pepper

1 bell pepper, seeded and chopped

5 garlic cloves, minced

1 jalapeno, minced

½ tsp. black pepper

2 Tbs. chili powder

2 tsp. ground cumin

1 (12 oz) bottle of porter or another brown ale or lager

1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes, preferably San Marzano

1 (15 oz.) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes

2 (15 oz.) cans black beans, rinsed and drained

1 to 2 cups chicken stock

1. Preheat the broiler to high. Roast the poblanos under the broiler or over an open flame until blackened on all sides, turning occasionally. Let stand for 10 minutes, or until cool enough to touch. Peel, core, seed and chop the peppers.

2.Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a deep stockpot. Add the ground sirloin, sand season well with salt and pepper. When the meat is well browned, remove it from the pot, and set aside.

3. If the pot is dry, add more oil, followed by the onion, Anaheim chiles, and bell pepper until the onions softens, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, jalapeno, chopped poblano, cumin, chili powder, 1 tsp. kosher salt, and ½ tsp. black pepper. Sauté 3 minutes.

4. Add the beer; scrape pan to loosen any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer until half of the liquid evaporates.

5. Stir in the browned sirloin, crushed tomatoes, canned tomatoes, black beans, and chicken stock, enough to cover. Bring the chili to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, or until thickened. Feel free to simmer the chili for up 90 minutes to really allow the flavors to meld and the chili to thicken. Serve chili with cilantro, sour cream, and cheddar cheese.