Dinner: Classic Beef and Two-Bean Chili

Recipe by Tim Cebula Simmering the chili in the oven rather than on the stovetop prevents scorching at the bottom of the pan. Find achiote paste and dried whole chiles at Latin markets. Ask your butcher for chili-grind beef, which is more coarsely ground

Ingredients

3 cups unsalted chicken stock (such as Swanson)
2 tablespoons achiote paste
2 dried chiles de arbol, stemmed and seeded
1 dried pasilla chile, stemmed and seeded
1 dried guajillo chile, stemmed and seeded
2 (15-ounce) cans red kidney beans, rinsed, drained, and divided
2 (15-ounce) cans small red beans, rinsed, drained, and divided
1 tablespoon canola oil, divided
1 1/2 pounds chili-grind beef sirloin, divided
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion
1 1/2 cups chopped red bell pepper
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1 (12-ounce) bottle Negra Modelo or Beck's Dark beer
1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, undrained

Instructions

Combine first 5 ingredients in a medium saucepan; bring to a simmer over medium heat. Stir well to dissolve achiote paste. Cover pan, and remove from heat; let stand 30 minutes. Combine stock mixture, 1 can kidney beans, and 1 can small red beans in a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 325 °.
Heat a large Dutch oven over high heat. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add half of beef; cook 4 minutes or until very well browned, stirring occasionally. Remove beef from pan. Repeat procedure with remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil and beef. Reduce heat to medium-high. Add onion, bell pepper, cumin, sugar, salt, black pepper, and garlic; sauté 4 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
Add beer to pan; cook 5 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half. Add tomatoes; crush well with side of a spoon or tongs. Add beef. Stir in stock mixture, remaining 1 can kidney beans, and remaining 1 can small red beans. Cover loosely to allow steam to escape; bake at 325 ° for 90 minutes.

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