We love this Texas-inspired chili recipe made with beef, an easy homemade chili paste, and spices. We don’t add tomato or beans to this chili. Instead, beef chuck happily stands on its own and simmers in an outrageously flavorful liquid until fork tender. It’s delicious!
For the beef, choose a cut that has a good amount of connective tissue and fat — like beef chuck. As the beef cooks, the connective tissue will break down, leaving you with incredibly tender cubes of meat.
3 ½ to 4 pounds beef chuck, trimmed of excess fat and gristle, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 whole dried New Mexico or California chili peppers, stems and seeds removed
3 whole dried Guajillo chili peppers, stems and seeds removed
3 whole dried Ancho chili peppers, stems and seeds removed
6 cups rich vegetable, beef, or chicken stock
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 large fresh poblano pepper, seeds and membrane removed, chopped
6 medium garlic cloves, minced, about 2 tablespoons
One 3-inch cinnamon stick
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 tablespoon masa harina or 1 to 2 small corn tortillas torn into small pieces
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
1/4 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper or chipotle powder, for spicy chili, see tips section below
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon fish sauce or more to taste
1 to 2 teaspoons brown sugar to taste
Cut the stems and remove the seeds from peppers. The seeds can be bitter, so get rid of them. Use a pair of kitchen scissors to cut the stem away and then shake or scrape the seeds from the inside of each pepper. If you have sensitive skin, wear gloves to prevent the oils from getting on your hands. Also, be careful not to touch your eyes during or after working with peppers.
Cut each cleaned pepper into small pieces, then add to a dry skillet over medium heat. Toast them, occasionally stirring until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Be careful not to scorch the chilies.
Transfer the toasted chilis to a large pot or large bowl and cover with hot water. Cover with a lid to prevent steam from escaping and set aside for 20 minutes. (When using a bowl, a large plate works well as a lid.)
When the chili peppers are softened and rehydrated, use kitchen tongs to place them into a blender with two cups of cold stock. Place the blender lid on, and hold the lid down with a kitchen towel to prevent the liquid from bursting out of the blender. Blend the chilis, starting at a low speed and gradually increasing until the mixture is smooth. Set the blended chili peppers aside for later.
Heat a tablespoon of vegetable oil in the bottom of a deep Dutch oven set over high heat. Just as the oil begins to smoke, add about half of the beef cubes in one layer and cook, without moving them, until the underside looks well browned, about 5 minutes.
Stir and brown a second side. You do not need to brown all sides of the beef cubes; two sides is plenty. When at least two sides of the beef cubes look well browned, transfer them to a bowl and repeat with the remaining beef cubes, adding more oil as needed.
If the pot is dry, add a teaspoon or so more vegetable oil. Throw in the onions and peppers, and then cook, occasionally stirring until soft, about 5 minutes. Next, stir in the garlic, cinnamon stick, cumin, and allspice, and cook for one more minute.
Add the browned beef, blended chili peppers, and the remaining 4 cups of stock to the pot with onions and spices. Stir and scrape the bottom of the pot to lift any bits of onion or beef that are stuck.
Bring the mixture to a boil, and then reduce to a very low simmer.
Partially cover the pot with its lid, and then cook until the beef is undeniably tender, 2 ½ to 3 hours. If while the chili is braising, you notice it is getting too dry, add another cup of stock or water and reduce the heat a little.
Mix the tablespoon of masa harina with 3 tablespoons of water into a smooth paste, and then stir into the chili. If you are using corn tortillas instead of the masa paste, tear the tortillas into small pieces, and then stir into the chili. After a minute or so, the tortillas will disintegrate into the chili.
Take the chili off of the heat, taste, and then season to taste. We love adding a splash of apple cider vinegar, a tablespoon or so of the fish sauce, and a teaspoon of brown sugar. We usually add a pinch or two of salt, as well.
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