Pressure Cooker Chili

Submitted by StreetChef

"From Alton Brown. This is the first dish I made in my pressure cooker. It couldn't have been easier."

 

• Ready In: 50mins
• Ingredients: 11
• Serves: 4-6

ingredients

• 3 lbs stew meat (beef, pork, and or or lamb)
• 2 teaspoons peanut oil
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 (12 ounce) bottle beer, preferably a medium ale
• 1 (16 ounce) container salsa
• 30 tortilla chips
• 2 chipotle chiles in adobo, chopped
• 1 tablespoon adobo sauce (from the chipotle peppers in adobo)
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

directions

1. Place the meat in a large mixing bowl and toss with the peanut oil and salt. Set aside.
2. Heat a 6-quart heavy-bottomed pressure cooker over high heat until hot. Add the meat in 3 or 4 batches and brown on all sides, approximately 2 minutes per batch. Once each batch is browned, place the meat in a clean large bowl.
3. Once all of the meat is browned, add the beer to the cooker to deglaze the pot.
4. Scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the meat back to the pressure cooker along with the salsa, tortilla chips, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, tomato paste, chili powder, and ground cumin and stir to combine. Lock the lid in place according to the manufacturer's instructions. When the steam begins to hiss out of the cooker, reduce the heat to low, just enough to maintain a very weak whistle. Cook for 25 minutes. Remove from the heat and carefully release the steam. Serve immediately.

Reviews

[Buffalo John]

I made this recipe for the first time yesterday. I was surprised by the use of stew meat and the deletion of beans. I followed the recipe word for word and took the review of "cheify" into account from 11/08. I must admit I found the chili on the blander side but very good. I like my chili spicier. I added additional chili powder and salt after cooking to bring it to life and thought it was fairly good. My guests raved about it and there wasn't more than a cup or two left over. Frankly, I was on the fence about making it again. I ate the left overs for lunch today and it blew my sock off. It was SO MUCH BETTER the 2nd day. I might have given this recipe only 3 stars but todays results were close to a 5, thus a 4 overall . So, with the exception of the increase in spices I would suggest not serving immediately as the recipe recommends. I would make this recipe the day before and let it sit overnight in the fridge. Heat it up the next day on the stove or microwave. The flavors will be so much more intense and harmonious you will not regret it. It will also be way thicker and much more chili like unlike the more stew like original consistency. I ate (and served) it with the left over tortilla chips, another new twist for me a chili and rice guy. I still missed the red kidney beans. Maybe I'll add them after cooking next time.

 

[Redox]

I halved the recipe but otherwise followed it exactly. I'm a fan of Alton Brown and will always follow his recipe the first time before fine-tuning for my own tastes. I loved the smoky flavor given by the chiles in abobo sauce and it was great for me but a little too hot for my wife. She loved the flavor and ate as much as she could before the heat got to her. I'll cut back on the spiciness next time so we can both enjoy it. This is a great alternative to the chili I usually make and I'll definitely make this again. Thanks for posting this, I've got quite a few of AB's recipes but I missed this one.

 

[mopchef]

Amazing results with little effort! I use cheap cuts of pork - shoulder - and get very tender chunks in a rich gravy. I agree that reducing the amount of meat is a good idea. Also I stir kidney or pinto beans into the finished product while it is still hot.<br/><br/>About the heat of this recipe - I make Alton Brown's chili powder - you can find the recipe if you click on "chili powder" in the ingredient list. That should make a big difference in the "pow" factor over regular bottled chili powder.

 

[lisanrick13]

I made this with ground beef, and a pear ale . . . other than that, exactly as directed. It was delicious but I wouldn't call it chili. We ate it with cheese in taco shells. It would also be great to put on nachos. I'll definitely make this again! Wonderful flavors, and I agree with Buffalo John, it was even better the second day.

 

[chiefy]

I am a big Alton Brown fan, and this was one of the first things that I made in my PC. A few notes on this recipe however - first off: be careful with the tortilla chips! The second time I made this, I put way too many in and they got scorched on the bottom of the cooker. I'd only add one or two handfuls at MOST. You can always thicken it up later. Also, I only used about 2 1/4 lbs. of meat. Any more and it would be too much meat IMO. I find that one chipotle is enough heat for my wife and I. Otherwise this is really good chili, I got rave reviews from my friends when I made it last christmas.