The Best Chili Of Your Life

Alright. Here's the thing, most weeks I have a day set aside for meal prep. I get the bulk of prep done in that one day so that evening meals are executed like cake- I'm in and out of the kitchen in 20 minutes! This Monday, I set out to prepare our week's worth of meals, and only got one thing done. This chili:

I had the best intentions of making dessert, prep for the rest of the week, and even cleaning the house! All of this was on my list, and I didn't quite hit the mark on completion. But I'm here to declare this chili was absolutely worth it!

I'm not one to dive into lengthy recipes on a regular basis, so be warned. However, this recipe makes enough to feed a village and freezes well. Not to mention, can you imagine anything better on a cold winter day?! (No, you can't.)

This recipe has been closely adapted from Brown Eyed Baker. I knew by the picture on her blog that this was going to be the best chili of my life. LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT IT!

You start by making a homemade chili paste out of dried chilis. YESSS. I don't think I've ever been serious enough about chili to make my own chili paste- "can't I just use a great chili powder and crushed tomatoes??" NO. I promise you, you will never go back.

Moving on.

Dried chili paste made, you move on the blitzing onion and jalapeno in a food processor to the consistency of chunky salsa, which is then cooked until the water evaporates. This all creates a truly magnificent full-bodied texture.

There's also meat in this chili, steak actually. Though not a huge meat eater, it was perfect in this dish. It gets browned, and then has ample time to stew, so it literally melts in your mouth.

I mentioned stewing. The chili is started in a Dutch oven on the stove, then finished in the oven. From top to bottom, this chili took me 3 hours to cook, and I was at yoga for 1.5 of those hours while the chili stewed. Seriously, that's only 90 minutes of work.

Let's get to it!

Best Chili: Chili Negro  serves 6-8

chile de negro, cornmeal, cocoa

• 1/2 cup dried pinto beans
• 1/2 cup dried kidney beans
• 4-6 dried chili de negro or ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed, flesh torn*  (found in specialty grocery stores. I found mine in the Spanish food aisle of Haggen)
• 2 dried arbol chiles, stems and seeds removed, flesh torn*
• 3 Tbsp cornmeal
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp  ground cumin
• 2 tsp cocoa powder
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 medium onions, chopped roughly
• 2 jalapeno peppers, stems and seeds removed, chopped roughly
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 (14.5-oz) can diced tomatoes
• 2 tsp molasses
• 1 lb blade steak, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• Sea salt

Method

1. Place dried beans, with enough salted water to cover, in a pot over high heat. Bring to a boil, then cover, remove from heat and set aside. Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees F, adjust rack to middle.
2. Place chiles in a medium skillet over medium high heat. Stir the chiles frequently until the flesh becomes fragrant, careful not to burn them (4-6 minutes). Transfer to the bowl of your food processor.
3. Add cornmeal, oregano, cumin, cocoa, and 1/2 tsp salt to the food processor. Blitz until finely ground. With the food processor running, slowly add in 1/2 cup chicken broth. A smooth paste will begin to form. Scrape down the food processor walls as necessary. Transfer paste to a small bowl. Don't wash out the food processor.
4. Place onion and jalapeno into food processor bowl and pule until you get the consistency of chunky salsa.
5. Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add onion mixture and cook, stirring as needed, until the water from the mixture has evaporated and vegetables are soft (7-9 minutes). Add garlic, and cook until fragrant. Add chili paste, tomatoes, molasses, and stir until chili paste in fully combined. Add remaining chicken broth, and drained beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.
6. While simmering, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in the same medium skillet, over medium high heat. Pat the steak dry with a paper towel and generously salt. Add the beef to the skillet and cook until browned on all sides (10 minutes). Transfer beef to the Dutch oven, stir to combine and return to a simmer. 
7. Cover the pot and transfer it to the oven to cook until beans are fully tender (about 1.5 hours). Let the chili rest, uncovered, then season with salt. 

NOTE: *when handling hot chiles, wear gloves. Capscium is the oil in chiles responsible for spice. It doesn't wash off with water alone, and even some soaps wont fully remove it from skin.