Recipe: Kilian Palmer’s low carb chille con carne

South African chef Monya Kilian Palmer has worked under Heston Blumenthal at The Fat Duck in England and now owns and runs the UK Blog award-nominated blog Mud & Love. Here she shares her recipe for a low-carb chilli con carne.

“I adjusted my recipe to exclude the red kidney beans, but the overall flavour and heartiness has not been compromised,” she says, explaining that her switch to a Keto lifestyle didn’t necessitate too much of an adjustment.

“I made this dish often in LBK (Life Before Keto), and even then we ate it with a spoon straight out of our bowls, sans tortillas, rice or any accompanying carbs,” she laughs.

This recipe yields 3 servings, so if it’s just you and your loved one, there should be enough the next day for whoever gets to the fridge and Calls It first.

INGREDIENTS
1 TB coconut oil
1 onion peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic peeled and finely minced
1/2 green pepper chopped
1 jalapeno finely chopped (optional)
1 TB red wine vinegar
500 g ground beef mince
1 TB ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
pinch cayenne pepper
1 tin chopped/crushed tomatoes
300 g beef stock
salt and freshly ground black pepper
60 g creme fraiche to serve
40 g Cheddar cheese grated
2 tsp chopped parsley to garnish
sliced red chilli (optional)
squeeze fresh lemon to taste (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS
Melt the coconut oil in a deep, heavy-based pan and soften the onions over moderate heat. Add the garlic, green peppers and jalapeno and fry for 1-2 minutes before adding the red wine vinegar to deglaze the pan.

Once the vinegar has cooked out, add the beef mince and all the spices (cayenne pepper, cumin, coriander) and increase the heat to get some browning on the mince as it adds to the flavour.

Tip in the crushed tomatoes and beef stock and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook (partially covered) over low heat for about 45-60 minutes. Check on it regularly to give it a good stir and ensure the mixture is not sticking to the bottom. It will be ready once all the watery liquid has reduced and your pot of chilli is a thick, chunky pot of pure goodness. Adjust the seasoning with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Serve up two bowls (there will be enough for a third helping/leftovers the next day) and top with a spoonful of crème fraiche / sour cream. Scatter over the grated cheese, chopped parsley and a few slices of red chilli if you are brave enough.

RECIPE NOTES
In LBK, I used to make this dish with a generous glug of wine in place of the vinegar, but now I like to add a squeeze of fresh lemon just before serving to add a bit of acidity to the dish.

Macro Details per serving
8.5%      Carbs
25.8%    Protein
65.7%    Fat

Nutritional Information per serving
Calories                         618Kcal / 2586kJ
Fat                                  45g
of which saturates       24g
Carbohydrates             13g
of which sugars           9.6g
Fibre                               3.6g
Protein                           40g

Allergens
Celery (present in store-bought beef stock)
Milk
Sulphites

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