Hearty Slow-Cooked Beef and Bean Chili

1. Bread Paste Preparation

In a large bowl, mash the bread with milk, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper into a paste using a fork. Add the ground beef and knead with your hands until the mixture is well combined.

2. Onion Sauté

Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the chopped onions and cook until they soften and turn lightly browned, which should take about 8 to 10 minutes.

3. Spice Infusion

Stir in the chili powder, tomato paste, minced garlic, ground cumin, dried oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook the mixture until it becomes fragrant, roughly 1 minute.

4. Beef Browning

Add half of the beef mixture to the skillet. Break up the beef with a wooden spoon and cook until it's no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Repeat with the remaining beef mixture. Stir in 1 cup of tomato puree, scraping up any browned bits, then transfer everything to the slow cooker.

5. Chili Assembly

To the contents in the slow cooker, add the remaining tomato puree, diced tomatoes with their juice, rinsed kidney beans, soy sauce, brown sugar, and minced chipotle chile. Stir to combine all ingredients well.