Kirkland Ranch Chipotle Chili

Back in 2007 I spent some time in San Francisco. One day we set off on a trip out to visit some wineries in the Napa and Sonoma Valleys. It was a beautiful sunny day with not a cloud in the sky and vines spread out across the landscape in all directions. As we traveled from vineyard to vineyard we sample crisp whites, lush reds and the odd zinfandel for good measure but for me, my favourite stop was at Kirkland Ranch.  Once a cattle ranch, Kirkland now devotes a good portion of its land to grapes and  doesn't do too shabby a job at it. While there I tried one of the nicest drops I've ever tasted, but it was far out of my price range and I have never come across it again. Unfortunately for me I lost the tasting notes and never wrote down what bottle so tickled my tastebuds. It remains a mystery.

One other mystery that has remained has been their famous chili which is a recipe passed down from their days as cattle herders. This recipe sparked my interest when I cast my eyes to the reverse of the tasting sheet that day in the winery.  Until now I had never even attempted this recipe, but as of last night I made it my own.  I started the method last night, browning the meat and bringing the remainder of the ingredients to the boil, then slipping it all into my crock pot and setting it in the corner.

Then all that was required was to flick the switch on my way out this morning and dinner was ready as I walked in the door. We added a little cheese to thicken (ok, just because Wil asked for cheese) and then baked some garlic bread for dipping - it was delicious! This might become our regular chili recipe, it certainly went down better than the Espresso and Black Bean chili last week!

1 tbsp olive oil

2 lbs sirloin, coarse ground

2 hot Italian sausages

46 oz tomato juice

15 oz tomato sauce

8 oz green chiles

1/2 cup shiraz

1 red onion, minced

8 cloves garlic, minced

2 chipotle peppers, minced

4 tbsp celery lakes

2 tsp salt

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp dry mustard

1 tsp ground chipotle pepper

Heat the oil over medium-high and brown the meat. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to the boil.

Reduce the heat and simmer covered for about 4 hours. Remove the cover for the last half hour if you want a thicker consistency.