Beef Chili With Ancho, Red Beans and Chocolate

~In*Memory*of*Brats~'s Note:

I made this from Tyler Florence's Real Kitchen book. It was AMAZING! I just had to share with you all! I made some ingredient substitutions in mine that may make it easier for you too. Enjoy!

• Total Time: 4 hrs
• Prep Time: 1 hrs
• Cook Time: 3 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 8

• 2 ancho chilies, seeded and hand torn into pieces (I used powdered because we couldn't find them in the store) or 2 tablespoons dried ancho chile powder (I used powdered because we couldn't find them in the store)
• 3 lbs beef shoulder (I used a black angus london broil)
• sea salt (I used kosher) or kosher salt (I used kosher)
• fresh ground black pepper
• 2 onions , diced (I used one very large Vidalia)
• 10 garlic cloves , halved
• 3 canned chipotle chiles in adobo, chopped (I used Louisiana Chipotle sauce since we did not have the peppers in adobo) or 2 ounces louisiana hot sauce (I used Louisiana Chipotle sauce since we did not have the peppers in adobo)
• 1 jalapeno , seeded and chopped
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 tablespoons coriander
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 (28 ounce) can whole canned tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 (15 ½ ounce) cans kidney beans , drained
• ¼ cup cornmeal
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened chocolate
• 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese (to garnish)

Directions:

1. Toast the ancho chile pieces over low heat in a dry skillet until fragrant, shaking the pan so they don't scorch.
2. Put the chiles in a food processor and pulse until they are powder.
3. Cut the beef into large and season with salt and pepper.
4. Put beef in large soup pot and add enough water to cover by one inch.
5. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil.
6. Skim off any foam that rises to the surface.
7. Mix in onions, garlic, chipotles, and jalapeño.
8. Stir in the chili powder, coriander, cumin, paprika, oregano, sugar, cinnamon, and powdered ancho chilies.
9. Pour the entire can of tomatoes into a bowl and crush by hand until chunky.
10. Add tomatoes and tomato paste to the pot.
11. Simmer for 2 hours.
12. As it cooks down you can add more water if necessary (we didn't need to but you may).
13. When done, take a wooden spoon and beat chili vigorously so that meat comes apart in shreds.
14. (I used two forks like I do with pulled pork).
15. Stir in beans and corn meal.
16. Cover only partially (so the chili doesn't get watery).
17. Simmer for one hour stirring occasionally In the last 5 minutes, stir in the chocolate.
18. Before serving, garnish with cheddar.

Reviews

[Jmommy209]

Maybe I'm more adventurous than most of the other reviewers, but I LOVE this chili. It has been the only recipe I've used for the past couple of years, because it is so good. I have noticed that if I don't follow the recipe correctly, it doesn't turn out as well, and I must admit to leaving out the adobos because it is too spicy for us otherwise (perhaps that makes the difference between my opinion and the others?) Thanks for posting it, now I don't have to worry about losing my copy.

[Nula Lavendula]

the first time I made this I thought it was ok. I'm not a big fan of adobo or kidney beans. THe second time around I tweaked it a little It was tasty. I I added a bag of dried chili's I prefer the chile negros but I am here in Southern Cal so we have more options for chilis. I used the whole bag toasted them in the oven (till they were fragrant and puffed and pliable) I took off the stems dropped them in the blender with most of the spices (minus chipotles and jalapeno) I put iin about 6 cloves of garlic into the chilis I used tomato sauce instead although I do use the paste as well. I use the whole can just I like the sweetness of it I thin it out with water. IMO the choco is an important componenet to this chili just becuase the chocolate helps to cute down on some of the acidity from the chilis. It rounds out the flavor. I used pinto beans instead of kidney because I really do not like kidney. I cooked the pinto beans in boiling water till soft and followed the rest of the recipe. I forgot to mention that I did not use beef second time around I used chicken and sometimes I used just potatoes and white hominy. Scoop it up with some handmade corn tortillas yum

[Cheesehead]

I really wanted to like it but it was just really different. The kids even turned up their noses at this.