Turkey and Black Bean Chili

First, brown the turkey and set aside (I used my Dutch oven to make this dish).

In a small saucepan, bring 2 cups of water to a boil and turn off the heat once the water comes to a boil. Add the Ancho chiles to the pot and allow for them to sit for about 10 minutes or until they are reconstituted. Remove them from the pot and dice them, removing the stem and seeds. Place in a blender with a little bit of the water from the saucepan and blend on high speed to make a puree. Set aside.

Drizzle a little olive oil in the Dutch oven. Begin dicing the onions and bell peppers and add to the Dutch oven once the oil is hot. Mince the garlic and toss it into the pot with the peppers and onions. Once the onions and bell peppers are cooking a bit, begin roasting the pasilla chiles. I have a gas stove, so I just turn on a burner and with a pair of tongs, roast a chile on the burner until all the sides look charred. Do the same thing for the other chile.

Once the chiles are roasted, you can peel the skins—they come right off. Dice the chiles and add to the pot. Next add the spices: cumin, chili powder, cayenne, cocoa, oregano and salt and blend with the veggies. Add the chicken or beef stock, the tomato paste, and the bottle of beer. Using a fine mesh sieve, strain the Ancho chile paste from the blender into the pot and combine well. Reintroduce the ground turkey into the pot. Add the black beans and diced tomatoes and allow the chili to simmer for about an hour before serving.

Garnish with a little sour cream and serve with corn bread.