Meatball Black Bean Chilli (Esther Clark)

Tempo

40 min

Picante

Dificuldade

Fácil

Rende

4porções

Ingredientes

2 tbsp

olive oil

beef meatballs (almondegas de carne; or DIY: 500 g carne moída + 1 ovo + ¼ cebola ralada + sal + pimenta, rolled into 12 balls)

onion, finely sliced (cebola pera em fatias finas)

mixed peppers, sliced (pimentões coloridos em tiras)

large bunch coriander, leaves and stalks chopped separately (coentro fresco — *talos picados + folhas reservadas*)

large garlic cloves, crushed

1 tsp

hot smoked paprika (páprica defumada picante; or páprica doce + ¼ tsp cayenne for sub)

2 tsp

ground cumin (cominho em pó)

heaped tbsp light brown soft sugar (açúcar mascavo claro)

× 400 g cans chopped tomatoes (tomate pelado em cubos)

× 400 g cans black beans, drained and rinsed (feijão preto enlatado, ou feijão preto cozido)

Cooked rice, to serve

Salt + pepper

Modo de preparo

01**Sear meatballs.** Heat oil in a large flameproof casserole or PCC20 inner pot on P5 Refogar. Fry meatballs **5 min** until browned all over. Lift out with slotted spoon; set aside.
02**Veg base.** In the same pot, add onion + peppers + pinch of salt. **Cook 7 min**, stirring.
03**Aromatics + spice.** Add coriander stalks, garlic, paprika, cumin. **Fry 1-2 min** — should smell fragrant.
04**Sauce.** Add brown sugar + chopped tomatoes + drained black beans. Stir; bring to a simmer.
05**Meatballs back.** Return meatballs to the pot, nestling them in the sauce.
06
**Cook.**
- **Stovetop:** simmer **15-20 min** until meatballs are cooked through and sauce has reduced.
- **PCC20 P14 Carne 25 min @ 115°C** for thicker, deeper-flavoured version.
07**Finish.** Stir in coriander leaves. Salt + pepper to taste.
08**Serve over cooked rice.**

Meatball Black Bean Chilli (Esther Clark)

Esther Clark's quick weeknight one-pot. Browned meatballs simmered with black beans, tomatoes, hot smoked paprika, cumin. Distinct from Warren Ellis chilli (which has chorizo); this one's lighter and Tex-Mex-leaning.

Heat: 2/5. Hot smoked paprika is the heat driver. Tame easily.

Tame it

Swap hot smoked paprika for sweet smoked paprika.

Bump it

1 tsp cayenne pepper added with spices.
1 fresh red chilli, finely sliced, on top.

Sub: bottled chiles only

Swap hot smoked paprika for paprika doce + 1 tsp Cepera Pimenta Tabasco Vermelha at step 3.

Variations

Vegetarian: swap meatballs for falafel balls or roasted halloumi cubes.
Pork meatballs: use chouriço-style pork meatballs for more smoke.
Toppings: sour cream, grated cheese, sliced avocado, lime wedge, tortilla chips.

Notes

Doubles brilliantly — Clark says it specifically: make double, freeze half. The reheat is as good as fresh.
Black beans: feijão preto cozido (homemade) tastes better than canned. If using dried: cook beans separately first, then add at step 4.
Freezer: cool, portion, freeze 2 months. Defrost overnight; reheat in saucepan with a splash of stock to loosen.
Pairing: the BBC version uses plain white rice. Also great with arroz mexicano (cumin + paprika rice), or just farinha de mandioca if you're in Brazil mode.