Ingredients
2 tablespoons safflower oil
1 onion, minced (about 1 1/4 cups)
2 carrots, cut into a 1/4-inch dice (about 1 cup)
4 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
Coarse salt
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 pounds 85 percent-lean ground beef
1 can (14.5 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes, chopped, juices reserved
1 can (15.5 ounces) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup fine yellow cornmeal
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Preparation
Filling: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat oil in a large ovenproof saute pan over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrots, and garlic, and season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add chili powder and tomato paste; cook, stirring, 30 seconds.
Stir in beef and cook, breaking up with the back of a spoon, until no longer red, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes with their juices and beans, bring to a boil, and cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
Topping: Whisk together flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl. Whisk in buttermilk, eggs, and butter. Spoon mixture over top of filling, spreading almost to edges of pan.
Transfer to oven and bake until a tester inserted in topping comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Let rest 20 minutes before serving.
