A friends mom served this for a week-end lunch in January (she cooked it the Friday, before). She shared it with me in April from a rather worn copy of The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook, while we were chatting up recipes. The fact that I remembered it attested o the Great Flavor.
Took me awhile to find it online and I can't wait 'til "chili makin' weather" to try it out.
Ingredients:
salt
4 quarts water
8 oz (about 1 1/4 cups) dried pinto peans, rinsed
1/2 chili powder
1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons cornmeal
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons cocoa powder
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 onions, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
3 small jalapenos, stemmed, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
2 teaspoons molasses
4 pound chuck-eye roast, trimmed and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 12 oz bottle mild lager (Sam Adams)
Preparation:
Add 3 tablespoons of salt, water and the beans to a large Dutch oven. Set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, then remove the pot from the heat, cover and set aside for 1 hour. Drain the beans and rinse them well.
Put chili powder, the cayenne (if you like spicy foods, use the whole amount, if not, go with the smaller amount), cornmeal, oregano, cumin, cocoa powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the food processor, slowly pour 1/2 cup of the chicken broth through the feed tube and continue processing until a smooth paste forms (you may need to scrape down the sides of the bowl once or twice). Transfer the paste to a small bowl.
Add the onions to the food processor (no need to wash it first), and pulse until roughly chopped (about 4 pulses), then add the jalapenos and pulse again until the mixture has the consistency of chunk salsa (about 4 more pulses).
Add 1 tablespoon of the oil to a large Dutch oven set over medium-high heat. Add the onion mixture and cook for 8-9 minutes, stirring a few times, or until the moisture has evaporated and the veggies have softened. Add the garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the reserved chile paste, tomatoes (and their juices) and the molasses. Mix until everything is well combined. Stir in the remaining 2 cups of chicken broth and the beans. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.
Grab the 12-inch skillet you used earlier to toast the chiles. Add 1 tablespoon of oil and heat over medium-high heat. Pat the meat dry and season with 1 teaspoon of salt. When the pan is hot, add half of the beef and cook until it is browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer the meat to the chile. Pour half of the bottle of beer into the now empty skillet, and use a wooden spoon to scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. When the beer comes to a simmer transfer it to the chili. Repeat this process with the last tablespoon of oil, the rest of the meat and the remaining beer. Stir the chili to combine all of the ingredients, and let it come to a simmer.
Cover the Dutch oven and transfer to the oven. Cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the meat and beans are tender. Let stand, uncovered, for 10 minutes then stir well and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Note: You can make the chili ahead of time and refrigerate for up to 3 days. I reheated individual portions in the microwave, which worked well. I also set the entire Dutch oven back over low heat and reheated that way, which also worked great.
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