Dutch Oven Chili Colorado

Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 95 min
Servings: 12
Yield: 12 servings

Description

Simmered and baked in a red chile sauce with beef and beer in a Dutch oven, this Mexican chili doesn't need beans or tomatoes.

Ingredients

4 ancho chiles
4 pounds boneless beef chuck, trimmed and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 pinch salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
6 cloves garlic
1/4 cup ground red chile pepper
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 cup Mexican beer, or more as needed

Directions

1 Soak the ancho chiles in boiling hot water to cover for 1 hour.
2 While dried chiles soak, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Season beef with salt and pepper.
3 Heat a cast iron Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the beef on all sides, working in small batches, 5 to 7 minutes. Set aside.
4 Drain chiles; remove stems and seeds. Place chiles, onions, garlic, ground chile pepper, salt, cumin seeds, oregano, and coriander in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to chop, then process into a thick paste. Add 1 cup beer and continue processing to blend.
5 Place meat and any accumulated juices back in the Dutch oven, pour in sauce, and stir well. Cover with a sheet of aluminum foil, then place lid on top for a tight seal.
6 Bake on the middle rack of the preheated oven for 1 hour; stir. Continue to bake, stirring every 15 minutes, until meat is fork-tender, 30 minutes to 1 hour more, adding more beer if sauce seems too thick.