Method
Cook and build your mug
- 01
Heat ½ teaspoon cooking oil in a small frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add 100 g beef mince and cook until properly browned, breaking it into fairly small pieces so it is easy to scoop from the mug.
- 02
Add 40 g finely diced onion and 40 g finely diced red pepper. Cook for 3–4 minutes until they begin to soften, then add 1 crushed garlic clove and cook for another 30 seconds.
- 03
Stir in ½ teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, ¼ teaspoon dried oregano, ¼ teaspoon chilli powder and a small pinch of chilli flakes, or an amount that suits your own heat preference. Cook for 30 seconds.
- 04
Add 1 teaspoon tomato purée and cook for 30–60 seconds, then stir in 80 g chopped tomatoes, 50 g drained kidney beans, ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce and ¼ teaspoon brown sugar. Season lightly with salt and black pepper.
- 05
Cook the chilli uncovered over a medium-low heat for 7–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it is thick and coating rather than wet. Drag a spoon through the pan: it should leave a track briefly before the chilli settles back together. Taste and adjust the seasoning and chilli flakes if needed.
- 06
Mix 100 g cooked long-grain rice with 1 teaspoon lime juice and a small pinch of salt. Divide the rice roughly in half.
- 07
Spoon about 50 g of the lime rice loosely into the bottom of the 591 ml mug. Do not pack it down. Spoon most of the thick chilli over the rice.
- 08
Roughly mix the remaining 50 g rice with the chilli left in the pan, keeping visible pockets of rice and chilli rather than combining it completely. Spoon this mixture into the mug, deliberately leaving useful headroom below the rim.
- 09
Finish with 20 g grated mature Cheddar, 1 tablespoon sour cream or thick Greek yoghurt, a small squeeze of lime and a little sliced spring onion. Push the spoon down through the mug so a mouthful can pick up lime rice, chilli, beans, cheese and the cool topping together.
Heat is personal
The tested version had a warming kick without being overly hot, but chilli tolerance varies enormously. Start cautiously with the chilli flakes, taste the chilli near the end of cooking and add more only if that suits you.
