Beer-Braised Chipotle Beef Chili

The bottle of stout is the whole trick here. Poured into the pot and reduced down, a dark beer like Guinness cooks off its alcohol and leaves behind everything good — roasty, malty, almost coffee-like depth that makes a beef chili taste like it simmered far longer than it did. Two chipotles in adobo add smoke and a steady, building heat, while a mix of kidney and black beans keeps it hearty. It's a straightforward, deeply satisfying cold-weather bowl with one smart move at its center: let the beer reduce properly before anything else goes in, and you'll taste the difference in every spoonful.

Sharp cheddar, sour cream, and scallion suit its roasty depth; cornbread is the natural partner.

Any stout or porter works — the darker and more roasted, the better. A square of dark chocolate stirred in at the end deepens it further. Ground turkey subs, though you lose a little richness against the big beer flavor.