Chili

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons olive oil54 g
• 1 yellow onion, chopped150 g
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped120 g
• 1 Anaheim chile pepper, chopped2 g
• 2 red jalapeno pepper, chopped30 g
• 4 garlic cloves, minced12 g
• 2.5 pounds lean ground beef1134 g
• 0.25 cup Worcestershire sauce64 g
• 1 pinch garlic powder, or to taste3 g
• 2 beef bouillon cubes8 g
• 1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle light beer (such as Coors®)411 g
• 1 (28 ounce) can crushed San Marzano tomatoes794 g
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes411 g
• 1 (12 ounce) can tomato paste340 g
• 0.5 cup white wine118 g
• 2 tablespoons chili powder16 g
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin14 g
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar13 g
• 1 tablespoon chipotle pepper sauce8 g
• 2.5 teaspoons dried basil5 g
• 1.5 teaspoons smoked paprika3 g
• 1 teaspoon salt6 g
• 0.5 teaspoon dried oregano1 g
• 0.5 teaspoon ground black pepper1 g
• 2 (16 ounce) cans dark red kidney beans (such as Bush's®)907 g
• 1 cup sour cream230 g
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro19 g
• 0.5 teaspoon ground cumin1 g

Method

1. Gather all ingredients.
2. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, Anaheim pepper, jalapeños, and garlic; cook and stir until softened.
3. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef; cook and stir until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes.
4. Add Worcestershire sauce and garlic powder; crumble bouillon cubes over beef. Add beer; continue to cook , scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet, until liquid is hot, about 3 minutes.
5. Stir beef mixture into pepper mixture.
6. Stir crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and wine into beef mixture; season with chili powder, 2 tablespoons cumin, brown sugar, pepper sauce, basil, paprika, salt, oregano, and black pepper.
7. Bring chili to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low. Cover the pot; simmer until meat and vegetables are very tender and flavors have developed, about 90 minutes, stirring occasionally.
8. Stir kidney beans into chili; simmer until beans are hot, about 30 minutes more.
9. Blend sour cream, cilantro, and remaining ½ teaspoon cumin in a food processor until smooth; serve with chili.
10. Serve hot and enjoy!

Watch out for: Dry, grainy beef. If that is your failure, the fix is a shorter simmer or a fattier grind — not more liquid, which thins the sauce without rehydrating the meat.

Ingredients

• 4 guajillo peppers (or use 1-1.5 tbsp ground guajillo powder or chili powder blend)
• 4 ancho peppers (or use 1-1.5 tbsp ground ancho powder or chili powder blend)60 g
• Salt to taste
• 3.5-4 pound chuck roast (cut into ¾-1 inch cubes)1701 g
• 1-2 tablespoons paprika10 g
• 1 tablespoon Mexican oregano4 g
• 1 tablespoon black pepper7 g
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar13 g
• 1 teaspoon cumin2 g
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander2 g
• Salt to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil27 g
• 2 jalapeno peppers (chopped)30 g
• 1 large onion (chopped)150 g
• 5 cloves garlic (chopped)15 g
• 2-4 cups beef stock (or use tomato sauce or fire roasted tomatoes)720 g
• OPTIONAL ADDITIONS (Worcestershire sauce, tomato sauce, chili or kidney beans, extra spicy chili powders)
• FOR SERVING

Method

1. Make your chili sauce. Remove the stems and sees from the dried guajillo and ancho peppers, then lightly toast in a dry pan about a minute or 2 per side. This will help to release the oils.
2. Soak the peppers in very hot water for 20 minutes in a heat proof bowl, or until they are nice and soft.
3. Add the softened peppers to a food processor with 1/2 cup of the soaking water (or use fresh water) and a bit of salt to taste. Process until smooth. Strain if desired. Set aside for now.
4. Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven to medium heat. Season the beef with salt and pepper, then sear the beef in batches to brown them, a few minutes per side. Set the beef aside onto a plate.
5. Add 1/4 cup of the beef stock to deglaze the pot, and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom.
6. Add the jalapenos and onion. Cook them for 6-7 minutes to soften.
7. Add the garlic and stir. Cook another minute.
8. Pour in the reserved chili sauce and the seasonings, and stir. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring a bit, to let the flavor develop.
9. Stir in the remaining beef broth (or tomato sauce) and reserved beef. Bring to a boil. If you’d prefer a soupier chili, add in 4 cups of beef broth. If you are using the optional additions/beans, add them in now.
10. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 2 hours, or until the beef is very tender.
11. Serve with your favorite fixins!

Watch out for: Tough, not dry. This is the one chili where 'give it another 45 minutes' is the correct answer, because there is still collagen left to convert.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons avocado oil27 g
• 1 cup finely diced yellow onion160 g
• 1½ cups diced green bell pepper224 g
• 1 cup diced poblano pepper118 g
• 1/4 cup seeded and diced jalapeño peppers30 g
• 3 garlic cloves, (minced)9 g
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, (divided)8 g
• 2 pounds ground beef907 g
• 1 teaspoon black pepper2 g
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste49 g
• 2 tablespoons hot sauce, (such as Siete Brand Traditional Hot Sauce)30 g
• 3 tablespoons chili powder24 g
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika2 g
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin2 g
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder3 g
• 1 (15-ounce) can fire-roasted tomatoes425 g
• 2 cups low-sodium beef broth480 g
• 1 (15-ounce) can red kidney beans, (drained and rinsed)425 g
• 2 teaspoons coconut sugar (optional)8 g
• sour cream
• shredded cheddar cheese
• corn chips
• thinly sliced green onions

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or pot set over medium heat. Add the onions, bell peppers, poblano peppers, jalapeño peppers, garlic, and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring, until the veggies are tender, about 8 minutes.
2. Add the ground beef, the remaining 1 teaspoon salt, and black pepper. Cook, breaking up the meat with the edge of a wooden spoon, until browned, about 7 minutes. Drain of all but 2 tablespoons excess fat.
3. Add the tomato paste, hot sauce, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, and garlic powder. Cook, stirring, until well combined and the spices are fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the fire-roasted tomatoes and beef broth. Stir to combine, then bring to a rapid simmer.
4. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, covered but stirring occasionally, for at least 30 minutes. (When I have more time, I prefer to reduce the heat to low and cook the chili, covered, for about 3 hours, stirring occasionally).
5. About 15 minutes prior to serving, add the beans and coconut sugar, if using, and stir to combine. Cook, uncovered, until the beans are tender.
6. Add your desired toppings such as sour cream, cheddar cheese, corn chips, and/or green onions, and serve!

Watch out for: Gluey or clumpy. That is masa added dry, or added too early. Slurry it, and late.

Ingredients

• Beef (2.0 lb)900 g
• Braising liquid (about 1.5 cups)360 g
• Vegetables612 g
• Aromatics and spice243 g
• Cooking fat28 g
• Acid32 g
• Salt6 g

Method

1. Brown: hard-char the beef; caramelise a half-tube of tomato paste in the same pan until it turns brick red
2. Build: chipotle and adobo in with the aromatics
3. Finish: optional smoked tomato powder, or smoke the finished pot

Watch out for: Acrid rather than smoky. Charring the meat is deliberate; scorching the tomato paste or the ground spice is not.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds ground beef907 g
• 2 (16 ounce) cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained907 g
• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes, drained822 g
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce227 g
• 2 onions, chopped300 g
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped120 g
• 2 cloves garlic, minced6 g
• 3 tablespoons chili powder24 g
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper8 g
• 2 teaspoons salt12 g
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper2 g
• sour cream for garnish
• 0.5 cup shredded Cheddar cheese56 g

Method

1. Gather all ingredients.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir ground beef in the hot skillet until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain and discard grease.
3. Combine ground beef, kidney beans, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, onions, bell pepper, garlic, chili powder, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper in a slow cooker.
4. Cover and cook on Low for 10 hours or High for 4 hours.
5. Garnish each serving with a spoonful of sour cream and shredded cheese.

Watch out for: A thin, pale result. Both causes are avoidable: browning skipped for convenience, and no reduction ever happening under the lid.