Michel’s Three-Bean Chili - Bountiful Bahia

A rich and smoky three-bean chili made with sirloin, kielbasa, and Oak City Spice Blends Bountiful Bahia, finished with cheddar, sour cream, and fresh cilantro. The seasoning is bloomed directly in rendered sausage fat and olive oil to create deeper flavor and a slow-cooked character in less time.

Medium Bloom | Deep and Layered

Serves 6–8

Ingredients

• ½ pound sirloin steak, cut into small pieces (225 g)

• ½ pound kielbasa, cut into small pieces (225 g)

• 1 tablespoon olive oil (15 ml)

• 1 tablespoon Bountiful Bahia seasoning (8 g)

• 1 cup beef broth (240 ml)

• 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce (425 g)

• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed (425 g)

• 1 (15-ounce) can red beans, drained and rinsed (425 g)

• 1 (15-ounce) can navy beans, drained and rinsed (425 g)

Optional Toppings

• Cooked macaroni

• Sour cream

• Shredded cheese

• Chopped green onion

• Fresh cilantro

Method:

1. Brown the Meat

   1. Heat olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat.

   2. Add the sirloin and kielbasa. Cook until the kielbasa begins releasing its fat and the meat develops light browning around the edges, about 6–8 minutes.

2. Bloom the Spice

   1. Reduce heat slightly.

   2. Add Bountiful Bahia directly into the oil and rendered sausage fat. Stir constantly for 20–30 seconds until fragrant.

   3. Do not allow the spices to darken or scorch.

3. Build the Chili

   1. Pour in the beef broth and scrape the bottom of the pot to release any browned bits.

   2. Add tomato sauce, black beans, red beans, and navy beans. Stir well.

   3. Bring to a gentle boil.

4. Simmer and Thicken

   1. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened.

   2. Taste and adjust salt if needed.

5. Serve

   1. Serve hot with sour cream, shredded cheese, or cooked macaroni for a hearty variation.

Why the Blooming Works

Medium Bloom

This recipe uses a medium bloom directly in the rendered kielbasa fat and olive oil.

Bountiful Bahia contains smoked paprika, cumin, coriander, black pepper, turmeric, and garlic, all spices that release deeper flavor compounds when exposed briefly to warm fat.

The kielbasa contributes smoky rendered fat while the olive oil helps distribute the seasoning evenly throughout the chili. Blooming the blend before adding liquid creates a fuller, rounder flavor that tastes slower-cooked than the actual cooking time.

The brown sugar in the blend also softens the sharper edges of the cayenne and black pepper, helping the chili feel balanced instead of aggressively spicy.

Pro Tip

This chili tastes even better the next day. As it rests overnight, the starches from the beans and the oils from the seasoning continue to meld together, creating a richer and more unified flavor.

A few additional thoughts as your collaborator:

• The macaroni addition is actually smart. A lot of people would dismiss it as “cheap chili,” but historically this is very common in working-class American chili traditions. It also makes the recipe emotionally approachable.

• I would not add onions or peppers unless you intentionally want to move the recipe toward a more traditional Texas/Southwestern structure. Right now it has a very pantry-friendly identity, and that fits your cookbook philosophy.

• The kielbasa is doing a huge amount of hidden work here. Removing it would weaken the recipe considerably unless you replaced it with another smoked/fatty component.

• Bountiful Bahia is carrying this recipe more than most commercial blends could. The smoked paprika-heavy structure makes it unusually suited for chili. That is worth recognizing in the cookbook.

  
  

Bountiful Bahia

$11.00

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