Texas Chili con Carne
Food and Drink

Photo and recipe courtesy of Executive Chef Jeff Tunks, District Commons, Washington, D.C.

Texas Chili con Carne

Serves: 10 to 15

 

1/2 cup vegetable oil, separated

1/2 red onion, medium diced

1 jalapeño, medium diced

1 poblano pepper, medium diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

12 ounces canned tomato, peeled and diced

1 chipotle pepper

4 cascabel chile peppers, dried

4 pasilla chile peppers, dried

4 guajillo chile peppers, dried

1/2 tablespoon cumin

1/2 tablespoon onion powder

1/2 tablespoon garlic powder

1/2 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon salt

3 pounds chuck, trimmed of fat and medium diced

1 dark beer (Guinness or Negra Modelo are recommended)

1/4 cup 60% chocolate disc

4 quarts chicken stock

Heat a medium stockpot on medium heat with half of the oil. Add diced onion, jalapeño, poblano and minced garlic, and cook until onion is translucent and soft. Add tomato and chipotle chili, lower the temperature, and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and let ingredients cool. Pour contents of pot once cooled into a blender, and puree until smooth. Set aside.

Place the dried cascabel, pasilla and guajillo peppers into a spice grinder or blender. Pulverize the peppers until fine enough to use as a seasoning. Combine the pulverized peppers with the cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano and salt, and rub into the chuck to season.

In a heavy stockpot or Dutch oven, heat the remaining oil on medium-high heat until it almost smokes, and then add the seasoned meat. Let the chuck cook undisturbed for a few minutes, and then stir with a wooden spoon to cook evenly. Once the meat is browned on all sides, pour the beer into the pot. Keep the heat as is and let the beer reduce by one-third. Regularly stir the pot with the spoon, making sure to scrape the bottom to ensure nothing becomes scorched by the heat. Add chocolate and stir to melt. Add pureed vegetables and three quarters of the chicken stock. Bring to a simmer on low for three to four hours, or until the meat is tender. Skim any fat that comes to surface while simmering and continue to scrape the bottom of pan a few times during the simmering process to prevent any burning. Add the remainder of the stock as needed. Garnish with grated cheddar cheese, diced white onion, sour cream, and serve with a side of cornbread.