Beef Chili
It’s really easy to customize chili. There are so many chile powders to choose from. If you like a smokey flavor, add a bit of chipotle chile powder. The New Mexico chile powder has a brighter flavor and redder color. Classic chile powder is deeper and has the addition of some spices already in it. I’m not a huge cumin fan so I use just a tiny touch. If you love cumin, then use more. On the other hand I really like Mexican oregano, but it’s assertive so I just use a little pinch. I also love the trick of thickening a too thin chili with Maseca or masa harina, the flour used to make corn tortillas. In chili it’s delicious.
The type and grind of meat will also change the personality of your bowl. Ground meat is a classic. If you have a local butcher nearby ask him to coarse grind the chili meat for a change. Sometimes I like to make my bowl of red like a stew, with pieces of meat cut a bit smaller but still bigger than even a coarse grind will give you.
Chili is always better the next day (unless you use a pressure cooker). Serve it with bowls of minced raw onion, sour cream and grated sharp cheddar cheese.
pressure cooker instructions: Cook as the instructions below specify up to the point of simmering, except wait to add your cooked beans. Put on your pressure cooker lid and bring to high pressure. Stabilize pressure and cook for 15 minutes. Let depressurize naturally then open lid. Add the beans and let soak up flavor until ready to serve.
Recipe: Beef Chili
Course: Entrée
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
1 lb coarsely ground beef
1/2 large onion peeled, diced
2 tbsp olive oil
2-4 cloves garlic peeled and minced
2-3t bsp chile powder
1-2 tbsp New Mexico Chile powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1 pinch Mexican oregano optional
1/2 cup Tomato Sauce
water or broth or bean liquorto barely cover meat
1-2 tbsp masa harinaoptional
2 cups pinto beans canned or cooked
Salt to taste
Instructions
1. Film the bottom of the heavy pot with olive oil and cook the onions with salt to taste over high heat until they wilt and start to color at the edges.
2. Add the meat to the onions. Cook the meat until no pink remains. If you’re using ground meat break it up as it’s browning to prevent unwanted chunks.
3. Add the chile powders, fresh garlic, cumin and oregano to the meat. Break the oregano leaves up with your fingers as you add it to the pot. Add salt to taste.
4. Over low heat stir the spices into the meat and let cook until the meat changes color and absorbs the spice, about 3-5 minutes.
5. Add the tomato sauce and enough water, beef or chicken broth, and bean cooking liquid or a combo thereof to just cover the meat by one inch. Add salt to taste.
6. Bring to a simmer and cook a minimum of 30 minutes if using ground beef. If you’re using larger pieces of meat then cook until meat is tender. Check level of liquid and add more if there is too much evaporation. Be sure to stir from the bottom of the pot to keep spices from burning.
7. Add beans halfway through the cooking process so they will absorb flavor. Adjust seasonings at the end of cooking. If you love the taste of corn tortillas and your chili is a bit too liquid thicken it with a tablespoon or too of masa harina (Maseca) the instant tortilla making flour.