Bold Texas-Style Beef Chili with Beer-Cheddar Drizzle

Info

• Cook time: 1 hour 45 minutes
• Total time from start to finish: 3 hours 30 minutes
• Yield: 4 to 6

Ingredients

• 2 ancho chiles
• 2 dried chiles de arbol
• 2 dried guajillo chiles
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 large red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and diced
• 2 Fresno chiles, stemmed, seeded and minced
• 2 Anaheim peppers, stemmed, seeded and diced
• 2 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 pounds coarse ground beef
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 8 cups low-sodium beef stock
• One 12-ounce bottle beer, amber preferred
• Pinch paprika
• 3 tablespoons masa harina
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups Cheddar-Beer Cheese Sauce, recipe follows
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions
• 1/2 cup minced red onion
• 1 cup broken salted crackers
• 2 ancho chiles
• 2 dried chiles de arbol
• 2 dried guajillo chiles
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 large red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and diced
• 2 Fresno chiles, stemmed, seeded and minced
• 2 Anaheim peppers, stemmed, seeded and diced
• 2 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 pounds coarse ground beef
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 8 cups low-sodium beef stock
• One 12-ounce bottle beer, amber preferred
• Pinch paprika
• 3 tablespoons masa harina
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups Cheddar-Beer Cheese Sauce, recipe follows
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions
• 1/2 cup minced red onion
• 1 cup broken salted crackers

Beer Cheddar Cheese Sauce

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup half-and-half
• One 12-ounce bottle beer, amber preferred
• 2 cups grated sharp Cheddar
• 1 cup cream cheese
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• Pinch cayenne
• 5 to 6 turns fresh ground black pepper

Beer Cheddar Cheese Sauce

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup half-and-half
• One 12-ounce bottle beer, amber preferred
• 2 cups grated sharp Cheddar
• 1 cup cream cheese
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• Pinch cayenne
• 5 to 6 turns fresh ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Stem the ancho, arbol and guajillo chiles and discard part of their seeds, then break the pods into sizable pieces. Warm a large saute pan over medium-high heat and toast the chiles in it until their color begins to shift, roughly 2 minutes. Pour in 1 cup of hot water, enough just to submerge them; cut the heat, put a lid on the pan and let them sit in the steam for 15 minutes. Blend the softened chiles together with their soaking liquid until the mixture is smooth. Set the puree aside in a bowl.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven set over medium-high heat, then add the onion, bell pepper, Fresno chiles and Anaheim peppers. Let them cook until the onion turns translucent, 6 to 7 minutes. Lift the vegetables out and hold them on a baking sheet or in a bowl.
3. Season the cubed chuck and the ground beef with salt and pepper, then put both into the Dutch oven. Brown them thoroughly, 7 to 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic, cumin, oregano, cayenne and cinnamon and saute about 2 minutes more, until the aroma comes up. Return the cooked vegetables to the pot along with the beef stock and the chile puree, stirring everything together. Bring the pot to a boil, then dial it down to a very gentle simmer. Let it go until the beef is quite tender and the liquid has cooked down, about 2 hours. Add the beer and paprika, then sprinkle in the masa harina to thicken the sauce. Keep stirring on low heat for 10 to 12 minutes, shredding some of the beef as you go so it blends into the sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Take the pot off the heat, cover it and keep it warm.
4. Ladle hearty portions of the chili into bowls, spoon the Cheddar Beer Cheese Sauce over the top, and finish with sour cream, scallions, red onion and crackers.
5. Stem the ancho, arbol and guajillo chiles and discard part of their seeds, then break the pods into sizable pieces. Warm a large saute pan over medium-high heat and toast the chiles in it until their color begins to shift, roughly 2 minutes. Pour in 1 cup of hot water, enough just to submerge them; cut the heat, put a lid on the pan and let them sit in the steam for 15 minutes. Blend the softened chiles together with their soaking liquid until the mixture is smooth. Set the puree aside in a bowl.
6. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven set over medium-high heat, then add the onion, bell pepper, Fresno chiles and Anaheim peppers. Let them cook until the onion turns translucent, 6 to 7 minutes. Lift the vegetables out and hold them on a baking sheet or in a bowl.
7. Season the cubed chuck and the ground beef with salt and pepper, then put both into the Dutch oven. Brown them thoroughly, 7 to 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic, cumin, oregano, cayenne and cinnamon and saute about 2 minutes more, until the aroma comes up. Return the cooked vegetables to the pot along with the beef stock and the chile puree, stirring everything together. Bring the pot to a boil, then dial it down to a very gentle simmer. Let it go until the beef is quite tender and the liquid has cooked down, about 2 hours. Add the beer and paprika, then sprinkle in the masa harina to thicken the sauce. Keep stirring on low heat for 10 to 12 minutes, shredding some of the beef as you go so it blends into the sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Take the pot off the heat, cover it and keep it warm.
8. Ladle hearty portions of the chili into bowls, spoon the Cheddar Beer Cheese Sauce over the top, and finish with sour cream, scallions, red onion and crackers.
9. For the sauce, melt the butter with the flour in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring them into a roux. Let it cook 3 to 4 minutes, until it smells nutty and toasty while still staying light in color. Whisk in the beer and half-and-half until the sauce is smooth and thick. Add the Cheddar, cream cheese, Worcestershire, salt, dry mustard, paprika, cayenne and pepper. Keep whisking over low heat for 7 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover and hold warm until serving.
10. For the sauce, melt the butter with the flour in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring them into a roux. Let it cook 3 to 4 minutes, until it smells nutty and toasty while still staying light in color. Whisk in the beer and half-and-half until the sauce is smooth and thick. Add the Cheddar, cream cheese, Worcestershire, salt, dry mustard, paprika, cayenne and pepper. Keep whisking over low heat for 7 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover and hold warm until serving.