Recipe: Spicy Chickpeas with Beef
Never question acclaimed food writer and cookbook author Mark Bittman. I like to pretend he’s my sous chef. I’ll investigate different flavor combinations, and his writing generally agrees.
His recipe for spicy chickpeas with beef has been in my research and development pile more than a year because I don’t cook with a lot of ground beef, it looked boring, and quite frankly, it didn’t seem to have a lot of oomph. Still, I had some grass-fed ground beef I needed to use, so I decided to trust Bittman and try it.
While it might not be the prettiest girl in class, it is 100 percent a winner. It was spicy, texturally satisfying and we all went back for seconds. This recipe gives space to add ingredients like rice, tomatoes, onions, peppers, hot sauce, lime juice or vinegar. I suggest you take a trip to Penzeys. Its chili powder blends are fantastic, and I’m also a fan of the Arizona Dreaming spice blend. However, you needn’t make a single change to this recipe, as it is utterly perfect in its simplicity.
Spicy Chickpeas with Beef
Adapted from a recipe by Mark Bittman
4 servings
1 tsp. olive oil
½ lb. lean ground beef, preferably grass fed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 15.5-oz. cans chickpeas, drained and liquid reserved
1 tsp. chili powder, plus more to taste
1 tsp. garlic powder or 1 Tbsp. minced garlic, plus more to taste
½ cup cilantro or parsley, chopped
• In a large skillet over high heat, add the olive oil and crumble the ground beef into the skillet. Add the salt and pepper.
• Brown the meat about 3 minutes, then add the chickpeas and cook until they begin to brown and pop, about 10 minutes.
• Add the chili powder and garlic powder and cook until aromatic, about 1 minute.
• Add enough water to the reserved chickpea liquid to get 2 cups. Add the liquid to the meat and chickpeas, scraping the bottom of the pan. Reduce the heat to medium or medium-low and simmer another 5 to 10 minutes.
• Remove from heat and stir in chopped cilantro . Season to taste and serve.
Dee Ryan is a longtime contributor to Sauce Magazine.
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