Set a heavy-bottomed 5-quart pot over medium heat at about 5 on a 10-point dial. Add 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil and 1 medium yellow onion that you've finely diced. Stir every 30 seconds for 4 to 5 minutes until the onion turns soft and a little clear. Then add 3 minced garlic cloves, 1 minced jalapeño pepper with its seeds removed, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander and 1/2 teaspoon chili powder. Stir for 45 to 60 seconds so the spices coat the onion. You'll smell the cumin first and then the garlic. The onion should look soft and pale gold without dark edges. Don't let the spices sit for more than a minute without liquid because ground spices burn fast. The brief toast releases their oils without turning them bitter.

Pour 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth into the pot and scrape the base to lift the toasted spices. Add 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts weighing about 1 pound total. Next stir in two 15-ounce cans of drained and rinsed Great Northern beans and one 4-ounce can of diced Hatch green chiles. Season with 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Bring the liquid to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Then lower the heat to medium-low and cover loosely for 15 to 18 minutes. The broth will turn pale gold while the beans soften and the chicken loses its pink color. Check the thickest part of each breast with a thermometer and keep simmering if either reads below 165°F. A hard boil can dry out the chicken. Gentle heat brings the meat safely to temperature without tightening it too much.

Once both chicken breasts reach 165°F, lift them onto a clean plate and let them rest for 3 minutes. Keep the pot over low heat at about 3 on a 10-point dial. Pull the chicken into uneven bite-size strands with two forks. Meanwhile scoop 3/4 cup of the soft Great Northern beans and a little broth into a separate bowl. Mash them with a fork until most beans break down into a thick paste. Return that paste to the pot and stir for 1 minute before folding in all the shredded chicken. The liquid should turn cloudier and slightly thicker as the mashed beans spread through it. You'll still see plenty of whole beans between the chicken strands. (I once mashed almost all the beans and ended up with something closer to a dip.) Don't overwork them. Keeping some beans whole gives the chili better texture.

Cut 4 ounces of softened full-fat cream cheese into eight small cubes. Lower the pot to gentle heat at about 2 on a 10-point dial and keep the broth below a simmer. Drop the cubes into different parts of the chili and fold slowly with a wide spoon for 3 to 4 minutes. Press any stubborn bits against the side of the pot until they melt. Then stir in 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice. Give the chili another 1 to 2 minutes over low heat so the flavors blend. The broth should change from cloudy gold to a soft ivory color and coat the back of a spoon. No white lumps should remain. If the liquid boils hard now, the cream cheese may turn grainy. Gentle heat lets the dairy blend into a smooth sauce.

Turn off the heat and let the chili stand for 2 minutes so the broth settles into its final thick texture. Divide it evenly among 4 deep serving bowls. Use a ladle to bring some shredded chicken and whole Great Northern beans into each portion instead of serving only the creamy broth. Then top each bowl with 1 tablespoon sour cream and 2 tablespoons finely grated Monterey Jack cheese. Scatter 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro over each bowl and tuck a lime wedge against the inside rim. You'll see the Monterey Jack begin to soften against the hot chili within 1 to 2 minutes. The sour cream will spread into uneven white ribbons and the cilantro will stay bright green. Serve while the chili is hot. Finishing off the heat keeps the fresh toppings distinct.