OUR FAVORITE CHILI

By LaLaCooks

A 4-pound chuck-eye roast, well trimmed of fat, can be substituted for the steak. Because much of the chili flavor is held in the fat of this dish, refrain from skimming fat from the surface. Wear gloves when working with both dried and fresh chiles. Dried New Mexican or guajillo chiles make a good substitute for the anchos; each dried ol may be substituted with 1/8 teaspoon cayenne. If you prefer not to work with any whole dried chiles, the anchos and ols can be replaced with 1/2 cup commercial chili powder and 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, though the texture of the chili will be slightly compromised. Good choices for condiments include diced avocado, chopped red onion, chopped cilantro leaves, lime wedges, sour cream, and shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese. The chili can be made up to 3 days in advance.

Ingredients

• Table salt
• 1/2 pound dried pinto beans (about 1 cup), rinsed and picked over
• 6 dried ancho chiles (about 1 3/4 ounces), stems and seeds removed, and flesh torn into 1-inch pieces (see note)
• 2-4 dried ol chiles , stems removed, pods split, and seeds removed (see note)
• 3 tablespoons cornmeal
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons cocoa powder
• 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 medium onions , cut into 3/4-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
• 3 small jalapehiles , stems and seeds removed and discarded, and flesh cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 4 medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 4 teaspoons)
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons light molasses
• 3 1/2 pounds blade steak , 3/4 inch thick, trimmed of gristle and fat and cut into 3/4-inch pieces (see note)
• 1 (12-ounce) bottle mild-flavored lager , such as Budweiser

Details

Servings 6
Adapted from cooksillustrated.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Combine 3 tablespoons salt, 4 quarts water, and beans in large Dutch oven and bring to boil over high heat. Remove pot from heat, cover, and let stand 1 hour. Drain and rinse well.

2. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Place ancho chiles in 12-inch skillet set over medium-high heat; toast, stirring frequently, until flesh is fragrant, 4 to 6 minutes, reducing heat if chiles begin to smoke. Transfer to bowl of food processor and cool. Do not wash out skillet.

3. Add ol chiles, cornmeal, oregano, cumin, cocoa, and teaspoon salt to food processor with toasted ancho chiles; process until finely ground, about 2 minutes. With processor running, very slowly add cup broth until smooth paste forms, about 45 seconds, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. Transfer paste to small bowl. Place onions in now-empty processor bowl and pulse until roughly chopped, about four 1-second pulses. Add jalapeand pulse until consistency of chunky salsa, about four 1-second pulses, scraping down bowl as necessary.

4. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, until moisture has evaporated and vegetables are softened, 7 to 9 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add chili paste, tomatoes, and molasses; stir until chili paste is thoroughly combined. Add remaining 2 cups broth and drained beans; bring to boil, then reduce heat to simmer.

5. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Pat beef dry with paper towels and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. Add half of beef and cook until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer meat to Dutch oven. Add bottle lager to skillet, scraping bottom of pan to loosen any browned bits, and bring to simmer. Transfer lager to Dutch oven. Repeat with remaining tablespoon oil, steak, and lager. Once last addition of lager has been added to Dutch oven, stir to combine and return mixture to simmer.

6. Cover pot and transfer to oven. Cook until meat and beans are fully tender, 1 to 2 hours. Let chili stand, uncovered, 10 minutes. Stir well and season to taste with salt before serving.


Videos
Our Favorite Chili
Serve With
All-Purpose Cornbread
Dana Sly's Vegan Cornbread

STEP-BY-STEP
Our Best-Ever Chili


1. QUICK-BRINE beans by bringing to boil in salt solution and letting stand 1 hour.


2. TOAST ancho chiles in skillet to enhance flavor.


3. MAKE PASTE by grinding toasted anchos, dried ols, spices, cornmeal, and broth.


4. SAUTonions, jalape and garlic in Dutch oven.


5. ADD chili paste, tomatoes, molasses, broth, and beans to Dutch oven. Stir to combine.


6. SEAR beef in batches in skillet until well-browned; transfer to Dutch oven.


7. DEGLAZE skillet with lager between batches and scrape up fond; add to Dutch oven.


8. TRANSFER chili to oven and cook until meat and beans are fully tender, 1 to 2 hours.

SHOPPING
Secret Weapons...or Weird Extras?
When chili cook-offs proved a bust, we combed the Internet for claims of "secret" ingredients to see if any would actually improve our recipe. Most were better left on the shelf.

YOU'RE IN!
Cornmeal brought great body to the sauce, while beer, molasses, and unsweetened cocoa added depth and complexity.


DIDN'T CUT IT
We'll pass on ingredients like peanut butter, red wine, cola, prunes, and coffee. "Umami bombs" such as anchovies and shiitake mushrooms are also off our list.

RECIPE TESTING
Getting the Fundamentals Right
No secret ingredient can make up for a dish that takes too many shortcuts. Here's how we laid the groundwork for a top-notch bowl of chili.

TYPICAL STARTING POINTS
Ground Beef
Ground chuck can't help but turn dry and nubbly after hours of cooking in the chili pot.

Bottled Chili Powder
Commercial chili powders lack depth, and the ground seeds and stems they often contain will turn the stew gritty.

Canned Beans
They're certainly convenient, but canned beans can also be bland and mushy.

UPPING THE ANTE
Whole Blade Steak
Starting with whole steak allows us to cut the meat into beefy chunks that stay moist and tender.

Three Kinds of Chiles
For complex chile flavor, we grind dried ancho and arbol chiles into a paste. Fresh jalapenos bring grassy heat.

Brined Dried Beans
Soaking dried beans in brine before cooking seasons them throughout and contributes to creamier texture.

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