Beef Chili with Red Beans and Chocolate

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Finney

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Beef Chili with Red Beans and Chocolate - Tyler Florence


3 pounds beef shoulder, cut in large cubes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 medium onions, diced
5 garlic cloves, halved
3 canned chipotle peppers in adobo, chopped
1 jalapeno, chopped
1/2 cup Ancho Chili Powder, recipe follows
1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 (15 1/2-ounce) cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup cornmeal
1 tablespoon grated unsweetened chocolate
3 cups shredded white Cheddar, for serving
16 saltine crackers, for serving


Making chili is nothing more than mounting layers of flavor and letting them all simmer together. Get in the habit of tasting recipes in stages; this way if something is not quite right, adjustments can be made on the spot.
Season the beef shoulder all over with salt and pepper then put it in a large soup pot. Add enough water to cover by 1 inch, about 3 quarts, and place over medium heat. Bring to a boil and skim off any foam that rises to the surface. Mix in the onions, garlic, chipotles, and jalapeno. Stir in the Ancho Chile Powder. Pour the entire can of tomatoes, with the liquid, into a bowl and hand-crush until chunky; add the crushed tomatoes to the pot along with the tomato paste. Simmer until the meat is fork tender and comes apart with no resistance, about 2 hours. As it cooks down, add more water if necessary. After the chili has cooked a couple of hours, take a wooden spoon and beat it vigorously so the meat shreds apart.

Add the next layer of flavor by stirring in the beans and cornmeal. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for another hour, stirring occasionally. Partially cover the pot so the steam does not get trapped under the lid and drip down into the chili making it watery. In the last 5 minutes of cooking, stir in the grated chocolate. Garnish each serving with shredded Cheddar and saltine crackers.



Ancho Chili Powder:
3 ancho chiles, seeded and hand-torn into pieces
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons ground coriander
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon sugar


This homemade chili powder will add a smoky depth to chili and as a dry rub for steaks. Toast the ancho chile pieces over low heat in a dry skillet until fragrant, shaking the pan so they don't scorch. Put the chiles in a mini food processor and pulse to a powder. Add the remaining ingredients and buzz again to combine.
Yield: about 1 cup
 
Chris, I take alot of heat and grief over on the Texas side for using beans, potatoes,and chocolate in my chili. I can tell you that if you try using Mexican Chocolate (Ibarra and Abuelita are two brands,) it adds another dimension. The stuff comes in "wheels" ,about 5 to a box. They are scored so you can theoretically (if you are strong enough) break it into wedges for making hot chocolate ,which the Mexicans invented. The stuff has sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in it so you get a wider array of flavors. I use about two wheels for a 9 qt dutch oven load of chili. Also, I double Tyler's load of powder! He's a wuss! Check out the link to Pendery's for excellent chili powder. I recommend "Top Hat". Later brother, Woodrow

ps, alot of grocery stores are now carrying the Mexican Chocolate in the imported food section. If not, I think that Charlotte must have a Mexican Groceria/ Supermercado!

pss. You ever been in Shelby? I ate some good Q there at a place called Alton Bridges BBQ. (Not to be confused with Bridges BBQ in the same town ;-) )
 
WoodMex, you are right. That Mexican chocolate is very good for this. Checked out the Pendery site. Good stuff.

Capt'n, yes I did. He talks a lot about his 'Southern' grandmother.

Suz, I like Michael's show. Everything 'looks' so easy.

R C, you Texans didn't invent Chilli, you just claim to. And everything not BIGGER and BETTER in Texas. Get over it.

Suz, chocolate goes in almost everything.
 
Chris! What the hell's the matter with you??? You coulda had 5 more karma points instead of just one... :?
 
"I don't think the Mexican boys even knew you were havin' a contest, cuz they'll come up here with a goat and an onion and kick your ass!"

:smt028

---Ron White
 
Bruce B said:
"I don't think the Mexican boys even knew you were havin' a contest, cuz they'll come up here with a goat and an onion and kick your ass!"

:smt028

---Ron White

But they will need a ride home!
 
redneck cooker said:
Ya'll Yanks aint never gonna learn that Beans and Chocolate dont go in real Chili!!!! :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: I guess thats all part of being a yank :LOL: :LOL: :LOL: :LOL:

Oh, that's right, I forgot the f#$*ing potatoes!!!!!!! :smt098 :smt067 :smt065 :smt068 :finga: :smt066 :smt071
 
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