Italian Recipe Collection

main course meat

Quick Chili con Carne

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Reconstitute the chiles: Stem and deseed the dried chiles (it is not necessary to remove every single seed). Place the chile pieces in a bowl, cover with hot tap water, and let soak for 20–30 minutes until soft. Use a small plate or bowl to keep them submerged if they float.
  2. Sear the beef: Cut the chuck roast into 1–1.5 inch pieces and season generously with salt. Heat a Dutch oven or large soup pot over medium-high heat with a glug of oil. Sear the beef thoroughly on all sides until well browned, then transfer to a plate and set aside.
  3. Sauté the aromatics: In the same pot, add another splash of oil and cook the finely chopped onion over medium heat until softened and lightly browned. Add the minced garlic and sauté briefly for about 1 minute until fragrant.
  4. Make the chile purée: Scoop half of the cooked onion and garlic into a blender. Add one plum tomato and the drained rehydrated chiles. Taste the chile soaking water: if it tastes pleasant, add 1 cup of it to the blender; if it tastes bitter, discard it and use 1 cup of stock instead. Blend until completely smooth.
  5. Combine the sauce: Pour the chile purée into the pot with the remaining onion and garlic. Stir in the 4 cups of stock, oregano, cumin, 1 teaspoon of salt, freshly cracked black pepper, and the tomato passata. Mix thoroughly.
  6. Simmer: Return the browned beef along with any accumulated juices to the pot, and add the remaining 2 plum tomatoes. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce heat to low, cover, and gently simmer for approximately 1.5 to 2 hours, or until the beef is fork-tender.
  7. Add the beans and adjust: Toward the end of the cooking time, stir in the canned beans. If the chili becomes thicker than desired after simmering, stir in an additional 1 to 2 cups of stock or warm water until the desired consistency is reached. Taste and adjust seasoning before serving.