Turkey Chili Blanco

If you’ve ever been to a chili cook-off that felt more like a death-match, you know that chefs tend to get territorial about their chili. My friend Mia and I usually get along like rice and beans—yet we still can’t agree on who’s chili is better (mine).

Like a lot of Tex-Mex cuisine, chili doesn’t often get the credit it deserves. Perhaps that explains why this spicy, slow-cooked dish inspires such spirit in the people who make it, and why it’s the subject of so many official and unofficial rules in the land of its birth.

Beans, believe it or not, are a divisive issue in Texas; specifically, San Antonians really don’t like them in their chili. But perhaps the best example of chili puritanism occurred in 1977 when the state legislature declared “chili con carne” could only be made by Texans. While I can respect the intentions behind it, this statute hardly seems enforceable, or fitting for a state whose motto is “Friendship.”

Still, competition does have its benefits. Sometimes a little jealousy can spur people to do — and cook — great things, like this Turkey Chili Blanco.

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turkey chili blanco

•   1-1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided

• 2 pounds ground turkey (85 percent lean)

• 1 green bell pepper, chopped

• 1 yellow onion, chopped

• 1 teaspoon ground coriander

• 2 tablespoons ground cumin

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

• 1 bay leaf

• 6-8 fresh tomatillos peeled and quartered

• 1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles, drained

• 1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely sliced (optional)

• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

• 3 cups cooked Great Northern beans, drained

• Toppings

• Chopped fresh cilantro

• Monterey-Jack cheese

• Sour cream

• Sliced, ripe avocado

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turkey chili blanco

• Heat 1/2 tablespoon of the oil in a large pot over medium high heat.
• Add turkey and cook, stirring often, until browned.
• Transfer to a bowl and return pot to heat.
• Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil, bell pepper and onion and cook until softened and golden brown.
• Return turkey to pot and add coriander, cumin, oregano and salt. Stir well to combine. Add bay leaf, tomatillos, chiles, jalapeño (optional) and broth, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 45 to 50 minutes.
• Gently stir in beans and cook for 30 minutes more. Stir in cilantro, ladle chili into bowls and garnish with cheese and sour cream, if you like.

TIME: 2 HOURS, 30 MINS. YIELDS 8-10 SERVINGS.