Texas Ranch Chili
Apparently, chili in Texas only has beef, chiles, a few aromatics. NO tomatoes or beans! Flavored by an amazing chile puree, it will make you look like a chuck wagon cook!
Ingredients
- 4 cups beef broth
- 6 dried New Mexico chiles 1.5 - 2 ounces total
- 12 ounces bacon chopped
- 4 pounds boned beef chuck cut into 1½-inch pieces
- Salt
- 2 medium onions chopped
- ¼ cup garlic finely chopped
- 1½ teaspoons ground cumin
- 1½ teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 cups dark ale like a stout or porter
- 2 fresh poblano chiles
Instructions
- Heat half of the beef broth. Stem the dried chiles (take the seeds out, too, if you want less heat). Put them in the pitcher of a blender and add the hot broth. Let them stand for at least 10 minutes, then blend them until they are smooth. An immersion blenders works well, too.
- In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, stir the bacon until it is browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a platter.
- Season the beef with salt and brown it in batches in the same Dutch oven the bacon just came out of. You might need to remove some of the grease first, but use your own judgment.
- After all the beef is browned, add the onion, garlic, cumin, and oregano to the pan; stir often until the onion is limp and turning golden, about 5-6 minutes.
- Return the beef and bacon to the pot. Add the chile puree, the dark ale, and the remaining beef broth. Bring to a boil, scraping up bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally for an hour. Uncover and simmer until beef is very tender and the sauce is thickened. If the sauce thickens too much, you can add some more broth.
- Grill or roast the poblano chiles until they are charred all over. Peel, stem, see, and coarsely chop them. Stir them into the chili about 30 minutes before it is ready to serve. Alternatively, serve them on the side as a garnish.
- Serve with sour cream, fresh cilantro, avocado, and warm tortillas.
Notes
To cook in an Instant Pot, do the first 4 steps, then put everything in the Instant Pot on Manual for 45 minutes. Let it natural release.
To cook in a Crock Pot, do the first 4 steps, then put everything in the Crock Pot on low for 4-6 hours.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!