Smoky Pork Chilli With Herby Rice And Popped Beans

Preheat the oven to 240°C /220°C (fan) / gas 9 and boil a kettle

Rinse your brown rice, then add it to a pot with plenty of cold water and bring to the boil over a high heat

Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 20-25 min or until it's tender with a slight bite

Once cooked, drain, return it to the pot and keep covered until serving

While the rice is cooking, peel and finely dice your red onion[s]

Heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) with a drizzle of olive oil over a low heat

Once hot, add the diced onion with a pinch of salt and cook for 10 min or until slightly softened

While the onion is softening, drain and rinse your red kidney beans (reserve the kidney bean liquid!)

Add half of the drained kidney beans (you'll use the rest later) to a baking tray (or two!)

Drizzle them with olive oil and season with a pinch of salt and pepper

Put the tray[s] in the oven for 20-25 min or until the skins have burst and are crispy – these are your popped beans

While the kidney beans are in the oven, dissolve your beef stock mix in 350ml [450ml] [600ml] boiled water

Add your ground cinnamon to the onion and cook for 1 min or until fragrant

Once fragrant, increase the heat to high, then add your pork mince (remove the paper if required!) to the pan and cook for 5-6 min or until beginning to brown, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as you go

Add your tomato paste and chipotle paste (can't handle the heat? Go easy!) to the pan and cook for 2 min, then add the beef stock and a large pinch of sugar

Reduce the heat to medium-high, then cook for 10 min or until slightly thickened in consistency

Add the remaining kidney beans with the reserved kidney bean liquid and cook for a further 5 min or until the sauce has thickened to a chilli-like consistency and the meat has cooked through (no pink meat!) – this is your smoky pork chilli

While the chilli is cooking, trim, then slice your spring onion[s] finely

Chop your coriander finely, including the stalks

Grate your cheddar cheese

Once the rice is cooked, mix through the sliced spring onion and chopped coriander and season with a pinch of salt – this is your herby rice