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Recipes: It's Chili Vs. Chili

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Attention to detail makes for a tender chili. Among Carucci's pertinent cooking tips: Add the dried herbs and spices to the sauteed vegetables to release their volatile oils. Use your fingers to crumble the dried oregano into the pot; that will release more of its flavor. Cook the chili over low, even heat to keep the ground beef juicy (boiling can shorten its protein fibers). If possible, don't let the condensation that forms on the underside of the pot lid slide off onto the chili and water down its flavor.

The chili, which takes about an hour to make, can be prepared ahead, covered and refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 1 month.

2 tablespoons mild extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, chopped (about 1 1/4 cups)

1 large carrot, trimmed and cut into 1/4 -inch dice

1 large stalk celery, peeled to remove strings and cut into 1/4 -inch dice

3 to 4 teaspoons mild chili powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 1/4 pounds ground beef (80 percent lean)

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