Real Food for Real Life

Friday, January 28, 2011

More Tex Mex goodness...

Texas Style Chili with Beer and Masa

I was paging through the November 2010 of Food and Wine magazine and the recipe for this chili set off strong cravings for me.  Don't be intimidated by the number or type of ingredients- I get my dried chilies and masa at Aldi or Kroger, they're easy to find.  This chili was so rich and delicious...perfect for a cold, wet day.

Texas Style Chili with Beer and Masa
adapted from Food and Wine magazine, Nov. 2010

ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
pasilla chiles, stemmed and seeded
guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
about 2 cups boiling water
1 cup strong brewed coffee
one 12-ounce bottle/can of beer
2 tablespoons canola oil
3 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 large onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced (1 tbs.)
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
4 cups beef stock
1/4 cup masa harina, or fine cornmeal
1/4 cup cocoa
chipotle hot sauce
shredded cheddar cheese, diced onion, diced avocado and warm corn tortillas, for serving

Heat a large skillet. Add the ancho, pasilla and guajillo chiles and toast over moderately low heat, turning, until lightly charred, about 4 minutes. Transfer the chiles to a heatproof bowl. Cover with the boiling water and let stand until softened, about 20 minutes.  Drain the chiles and transfer to a blender. Add the chipotles and coffee and puree until smooth. Add the beer; pulse until blended.

Heat the oil in a large, enameled cast-iron casserole. Season the beef with salt and pepper and add half to the pot. Cook over moderately high heat until browned all over, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meat to a plate. Lower the heat to moderate and brown the remaining beef. Return all of the meat to the casserole and cook until heated through, about 1 minute.  Add the onion and garlic to the casserole and cook over moderately high heat until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the coriander, cumin, cinnamon and cloves and cook until fragrant. Add the chile-beer mixture, cocoa, and the beef stock; bring to a simmer, stirring. Cover partially and simmer over low heat until the meat is very tender and the sauce is slightly reduced, about 2 hours.

Ladle 1 cups of the sauce into a measuring cup and whisk in the masa harina. Whisk the mixture into the pot and simmer until the sauce thickens, 15 minutes. Season the chili with salt and hot sauce; serve with cheddar, onion, avocado, and tortillas.

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