Coffee House Chili

My wife and I have been making Coffee House Chili since way before The Nook existed. If there was a dish to bring, people were not subtle about it. Oh my god, you have to bring your chili. It got popular that way. When we opened, we already knew it was going on the menu.

It is a sometimes item. Mostly winter. We barely make it in the summer, because my wife has decided soup is not allowed once the weather gets nice. Crazy talk. I am writing this down so there is a record.

It starts with sirloin. We blacken the steak with espresso powder, get a real sear on it, and chop it. Then ground beef. Then three kinds of beans, because one kind of bean is a side and three kinds is a commitment.

The ingredient that matters is time. The clock. It cooks a long time. That is the whole trick. Everything else is just in the pot, getting along.

The chili powders are gluten free, so the chili is too. You may relax.

We also do it as breakfast. A specialty sandwich called the Sloppy Nook. A cheese roll, the chili, an egg, and cheese. It is extremely sloppy. That is the idea. Our version of a sloppy joe.

It is often served with our cornbread muffins (which are not gluten free). Those, in my opinion, are some of the best muffins around. The chili does not argue.