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Ultimate Beef Chili

Source of Recipe

From "Cook's Illustrated Revolutionary Recipes"


Recipe Introduction

"A 4-pound chuck-eye roast, well trimmed of fat, can be substituted for the blade steak. Because much of the chili's flavor is held in the fat, refrain from skimming it from the surface. Dried New Mexican or guajillo chiles make a good substitute for the anchos; each dried arbol may be replaced with â…› teaspoon cayenne pepper. For a spicier chili, use the larger amount of arbols. If you prefer not to use any whole dried chiles, the anchos and arbols can be replaced with ½ cup of commercial chili powder and ¼ to ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper, though the texture of the chili will be slightly compromised. Good choices for toppings include diced avocado, finely chopped red onion, chopped cilantro, lime wedges, sour cream, and shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 8 ounces (1 ¼ cups) dried pinto beans, picked over and rinsed
â—¦ Salt
â—¦ 6 dried ancho chiles, stemmed, seeded, and torn into 1-inch pieces
â—¦ 2 to 4 dried arbol chiles, stemmed, seeded, and halved
â—¦ 3 tablespoons cornmeal
â—¦ 2 teaspoons dried oregano
â—¦ 2 teaspoons ground cumin
â—¦ 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
â—¦ 2 ½ cups chicken broth
â—¦ 2 onions, cut into ¾-inch pieces
â—¦ 3 small jalapeño chiles, stemmed, seeded, and cut into ½-inch pieces
â—¦ 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
â—¦ 4 cloves garlic, minced
â—¦ 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
â—¦ 2 teaspoons molasses
â—¦ 3 ½ pounds blade steak, ¾ inch thick, trimmed and cut into ¾-inch pieces
â—¦ 1 ½ cups mild lager, such as Budweiser


Recipe

Combine 4 quarts water, beans, and 3 tablespoons salt in Dutch oven and bring to boil over high heat. Remove pot from heat, cover, and let stand for 1 hour. Drain and rinse well.

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Place anchos in 12-inch skillet set over medium-high heat; toast, stirring frequently, until flesh is fragrant, 4 to 6 minutes, reducing heat if chiles begin to smoke. Transfer to food processor and let cool. Do not clean skillet.

Add arbols, cornmeal, oregano, cumin, cocoa, and ½ teaspoon salt to processor with toasted anchos; process until finely ground, about 2 minutes. With processor running, slowly add ½ cup broth until smooth paste forms, about 45 seconds, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Transfer paste to small bowl. Pulse onions in now-empty processor until coarsely chopped, about 4 pulses. Add jalapeños and pulse until consistency of chunky salsa, about 4 pulses, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, until moisture has evaporated and vegetables are softened, 7 to 9 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes and their juice, molasses, and chile paste; stir until thoroughly combined. Add beans and remaining 2 cups broth; bring to boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Pat beef dry with paper towels and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. Brown half of beef on all sides, about 10 minutes; transfer to pot. Add ¾ cup beer to skillet, scraping up any browned bits, and bring to simmer. Transfer beer to pot. Repeat with remaining 1 tablespoon oil, remaining beef, and remaining ¾ cup beer; transfer to pot. Stir to combine and return mixture to simmer. Cover pot, transfer to oven, and cook until meat and beans are fully tender, 1 ½ to 2 hours. Let chili stand, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Stir well, season with salt to taste, and serve.

Serves 6 to 8