| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 3 hr |
| Active: | 1 hr |
| Yield: | 6 servings |
Ingredients
- 2 ounces dried chiles, such as guajillo, arbol, ancho, japones or a combination (8 to 10 chiles)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 onion, diced
- 8 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 1/2 cups beef stock
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 5 tablespoons lard, vegetable oil or rendered beef suet
- 2 1/2 pounds boneless beef chuck, well-trimmed and cut into 3/4-inch cubes (to yield 2 pounds after trimming)
- 2 tablespoons masa harina (corn tortilla flour)
- 1 tablespoon firmly packed dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
- Mexican crema, for serving
- Shredded Mexican blend cheese or Cheddar, for serving
- Diced white onion, for serving
- Lime wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Put the chiles on a small rimmed baking sheet and toast in the oven until fragrant, about 4 minutes. Don’t let them burn or they will turn bitter. Transfer the chiles to a medium heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water. Cover with plastic wrap and let the chiles soak until softened, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Drain the chiles then remove and discard the stems. Split open each chile and scrape out the seeds with the back of your knife. Discard the seeds and transfer the chiles to a blender. Add the cumin, half of the diced onion, half of the garlic, 1/2 cup of the beef stock, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Blend, occasionally scraping down the sides of the blender, until a smooth, slightly fluid paste forms (you want to eliminate all but the tiniest bits of skin).
- Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the chile paste and cook until slightly darkened, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Heat a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat and melt 2 tablespoons of the lard (or heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil). Season the beef cubes with salt and pepper. When the lard begins to smoke, swirl the pot to coat and add half of the beef. Cook, lowering the heat if the meat threatens to burn, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a bowl and repeat with 2 more tablespoons of the lard and the remaining beef. Set aside.
- Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon lard (or heat the remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil) in the pot. Add the remaining diced onion and garlic and cook gently over low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the beef back to the pot along with any juices. Then add 2 cups water and the remaining 2 cups beef stock. Stir in the reserved chile paste and bring to a simmer over high heat, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits. Lower the heat to maintain the barest possible simmer (just a few bubbles breaking the surface) and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the meat is tender, about 2 hours.
- Thoroughly stir the masa harina, brown sugar and vinegar into the chili. Gently simmer for a few minutes until the sauce has thickened. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
- Serve in individual bowls with a dollop of crema, shredded cheese, white onion and a lime wedge.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 438 |
| Total Fat | 24 g |
| Saturated Fat | 9 g |
| Carbohydrates | 11 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 4 g |
| Protein | 45 g |
| Cholesterol | 135 mg |
| Sodium | 814 mg |
Reviews
I saw this recipe on Duff’s show and thought it sounded delicious. It was AWFUL!!! It didn’t resemble chili at all.
Followed directions and it was delicious. The Second time I made it I added beans, and was still delicious.
Delicious! Followed the recipe. Will definitely make it again.
As a Texan that competes in chili cookoffs, I have to say this one is a contender.
This chili was very flavorful. I used a good quality chuck and the cubes just melted in our mouths. However, that being said, I still prefer using ground beef in chili. I will use this chili paste as an addition to the regular chili I make which is a tomato and bell pepper based recipe. Duff’s chili paste will definitely kick my recipe up!!!
I suggest putting it over rice. We aren’t cornbread chili people. The meat is so so tender! Tasty!
I watched the episode and the measurements of ingredients Duff used are different than this printed recipe. He used 1/4 cup beef stock, 1/2 tablespoon salt and 3 cloves of garlic in the blender with the chiles to make the chile paste. Duff only sautéed an additional 3 cloves of garlic with the other half of the onion.
Using the dried chilies to make a paste gave this a really smoky flavor. I’ll definitely be making it again!
Made this last night for dinner (look ahead at recipes all the time), and added a touch of dried habanero. It was perfect!