Dinner: Three-Chile Beef Chili

Ingredients

2 ancho chiles
2 dried New Mexico chiles
3 dried chipotle chile
1 tablespoon coriander seeds, toasted
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted
1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds, toasted
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 whole garlic cloves, plus 1 tablespoon minced garlic
Three 14.5-ounce cans peeled whole tomatoes, drained
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 pounds ground beef
1 large onion, diced
6 ounces meaty bacon, diced (1 cup)
6 cups chicken stock
2 cups stout beer
2 cups brewed coffee
1/2 cup crushed tortilla chips
8 cilantro sprigs, coarsely chopped
Kosher salt
Three 15-ounce cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained

Instructions

In a heatproof bowl, cover the chiles with boiling water and let stand until softened, 15 minutes; drain. Stem and seed the chiles and transfer to a blender. Add the coriander, cumin, mustard seeds, thyme, garlic cloves and one-third of the tomatoes; puree.
In a large enameled cast-iron casserole, heat the oil. Add half of the ground beef and brown over moderately high heat, about 2 minutes. Transfer the meat to a plate. Repeat with the remaining ground beef.
Add the onion and bacon to the pot and cook until the onion is golden. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the beef and chile puree and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the stock, beer, coffee, tortilla chips, cilantro and remaining tomatoes and season with salt. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer over moderate heat for 1 hour. Add the beans and cook uncovered for 1 hour. Season the chili with salt.

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