Southern-style slow cooker beef chilli with cornbread topping

delicious. tips

1. Batch cook: Cool the chilli completely, then decant into lidded, freezerproof container(s). Leftovers will keep in a lidded container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. Or freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight, then reheat in a pan on the hob until piping hot. The base chilli can also be used to make:

   Chilli beef & bean puffs (Serves 4)
   Heat the oven to 200°C fan/gas 7. Halve 2 x 320g puff pastry sheets widthways to give 4 rough squares. Mix 1⁄2 batch beef chilli with a drained 400g tin of black beans. Top one half of each pastry square with 1⁄4 of the chilli bean mixture, brush the pastry edges with beaten egg, then fold the pastry over and crimp the edges to seal. Brush the tops with more beaten egg and pierce with a knife to let steam escape while baking. Arrange the puffs on a baking tray and bake for 30-35 minutes until puffed and golden.

   Chilli cheese fries (Serves 4)
   Heat the oven to 180°C fan/gas 6. Spread 600g frozen oven french fries over 1-2 baking trays (don’t crowd them). Bake for 20 minutes until crisp. Toss the fries with 1 tsp garlic granules, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1⁄2 tsp smoked paprika, 1⁄4 tsp chilli powder and a pinch of salt, then arrange over 1 tray. Top with 1⁄2 batch beef chilli, sprinkle with 150g grated cheddar, then bake for 15 minutes until the cheese is golden and the chilli is hot. Serve with soured cream, spring onions and pickled jalapeño chillies.

   Next time: Make your own chilli paste. Try a mix of 6-8 dried guajillo, ancho and chipotle chillies (you can find them online at coolchile.co.uk, ocado.co.uk, or souschef.co.uk and in some larger supermarkets or spice shops). Remove the stems and seeds from the chillies, lightly toast in a dry pan for 1-2 minutes each side over high heat, then cover in the hot coffee and set aside to soak for 1 hour. Whizz to a smooth paste and proceed with the recipe as stated.

   Flavour boost: Liberally salt the meat on all sides a few hours before cooking the chilli to season the meat deeply. Also, browning the meat well on all sides before adding to the slow cooker will give more flavour to the final dish. Don’t forget to deglaze the pan too.

2. To make the chilli in the oven, after step 1, combine the (seared) spice-coated beef and the remaining ingredients in a large casserole with a tight-fitting lid. Cover with a damp circle of baking paper, tucking in the edges to trap the moisture, then bake in a 130ºC fan/gas 2 oven for 4½-5 hours, removing the lid for the last hour of cooking. Give the chilli a stir after 3 hours and top up with a bit more water if it’s looking a bit dry. The polenta helps to thicken up the sauce – you may not need it if cooking in the oven as the heat is drier than a slow cooker.