French Onion Chili

Ingredients

• 2 bags onions (1 yellow, 1 red), sliced into 1/8-inch rings
• Salt and pepper
• Canola oil
• Brandy, for deglazing
• 3 cups beef stock
• 3 cups chicken stock
• Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce, to taste
• 1.5 lbs ground or cubed meat
• 2 tsp thyme, 1 tbsp sage, 2 bay leaves (sachet d’épices)
• 1/2 can black beans, cleaned
• Gruyère cheese, to serve

Method

1. Cook the onions in canola oil, seasoned with salt and pepper, until jam-like and golden brown.
2. Deglaze with brandy. Pour in the beef and chicken stock and simmer until thick like jam. Season with Worcestershire and soy sauce until it tastes like a very intense onion soup. This takes a while.
3. Separately, brown the meat (a pressure cooker works well); pour off excess fat and season with salt and pepper.
4. Combine the onion soup base with the browned meat and bring to a boil. Add the sachet d’épices and the black beans.
5. Simmer about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally (or pressure-cook 15 minutes and let release naturally).
6. Remove the sachet and serve with Gruyère.