Texas Style Chili (Print version)
Tender chunks of beef simmered in a bold dried chile gravy for a no-bean Texas Style Chili built for serious comfort.
# Ingredients:
For the chile paste
01 -
4 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
02 -
3 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
03 -
2 dried pasilla or New Mexico chiles, stemmed and seeded
04 -
2 cups (480 ml) hot beef broth, for soaking
For the chili
05 -
3 lb (1.36 kg) beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1-inch chunks
06 -
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
07 -
1 teaspoon black pepper
08 -
2 tablespoons neutral oil, divided
09 -
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
10 -
5 cloves garlic, minced
11 -
2 tablespoons tomato paste
12 -
2 teaspoons ground cumin
13 -
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
14 -
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
15 -
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
16 -
2 cups (480 ml) beef broth, plus more as needed
17 -
1 bay leaf
18 -
2 tablespoons masa harina
19 -
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
For serving
20 -
Chopped white onion
21 -
Sliced jalapenos
22 -
Chopped cilantro
23 -
Lime wedges
24 -
Corn chips or cornbread
# Instructions:
01 -
Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Toast the stemmed and seeded dried chiles for 10-15 seconds per side until fragrant, then transfer them to a bowl.
02 -
Pour 2 cups hot beef broth over the chiles and let them soften for 20 minutes. Blend the chiles with the soaking liquid until smooth, then strain if needed.
03 -
Season the beef with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in the Dutch oven over medium-high heat and brown the beef in batches, adding more oil as needed. Transfer browned beef to a plate.
04 -
Lower the heat to medium. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, scraping up browned bits. Add garlic, tomato paste, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, and cayenne, then cook for 1 minute.
05 -
Return the beef and juices to the pot. Add the chile paste, remaining 2 cups beef broth, and bay leaf. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover partly, and cook 2 1/2 to 3 hours until the beef is spoon-tender.
06 -
Mix masa harina with 1/4 cup hot liquid from the pot to make a slurry. Stir it into the chili and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Remove the bay leaf, stir in vinegar, and season to taste.
# Good to know:
01 -
This chili is traditionally served without beans.
02 -
For a milder batch, remove all chile seeds and skip the cayenne.
03 -
Leftovers keep up to 4 days refrigerated or 3 months frozen.