Best Ground Beef Chili (America's Test Kitchen)

By zircon50

Ingredients

• 2-lbs 85% lean ground beef
• 2 cups + 2 tablespoons water
• Salt and pepper
• 3/4-teaspoon baking soda
• 6 dried ancho chile
• 1 ounce tortilla chip, crushed (1/4 cup)
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 14-1/2-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped fine
• 3 garlic clove, minced
• 2 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
• 15 -oz-can pinto bean
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 2 Lime, cut into wedges
• Coarsely chopped cilantro
• Chopped red onion
• Additional garnishes: diced avocado, sour cream, and shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese, tortilla chips and/or steamed white rice.

Preparation

Step 1

1.Set a rack to lower-middle of your oven and pre-heat to 275-degrees. In a medium-sized bowl, add beef, 2 tablespoons water, 1-1/2 teaspoons salt, and 3/4-teaspoon baking soda. Toss until thoroughly combined, and set aside for 20 minutes.

2.Meanwhile, remove the stems for the chiles and tear then into 1″-sized pieces. Set a Dutch oven set over medium-high burner; Add chiles and toast for 4 to 6 minutes until they become fragrant, stirring frequently. If the chiles begin to smoke, then reduce the burner. Allow to cool in the bowl of a food processor.

3.Add tortilla chips, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, coriander, oregano, thyme, and 2 teaspoons pepper to bowl food processor. Process for 2 minutes until it becomes finely ground. Empty spices into a small bowl. Process the tomatoes with their juice in the food processor for 30 seconds until smooth.

4.Dice your onion and peel your garlic.

5.Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to the empty Dutch oven, set over medium-high burner. Add diced onion at cook for 4 to 6 minutes until softened; stir occasionally. Press garlic directly into pot and cook for just 1 minutes. Add beef mixture from Step 1. Cook beef for 12 to 14 minutes; breaking up meat into 1/4″-pieces as it cooks. The beef should begin to brown and a fond should begin to form on the bottom of the Dutch oven. Add spice mixture from Step 3 and continue to cook and stir for 1 to 2 minutes; to bloom the spices.

6.Add 2 cups of water, 2 teaspoons sugar, tomato puree, and pinto beans and their liquid. Bring up to a boil, and scrape the bottom of the pot to loosen any browned bits. Cover with lid, move to pre-heated oven. Cook for 1-1/2 to 2 hours until the meat is tender and chili has slightly thickened. Stir occasionally to prevent the chili from sticking.

7.Uncover chili and let it sit for 10-minutes. Meanwhile, prepare any of your garnishes.

8.After 10 minutes stir to re-incorporate any fat that has risen to the top and add 2 tablespoons cider vinegar.

9.Adjust seasoning with salt to taste. Serve, passing separately the lime wedges, cilantro, chopped onion and other garnishes.