Chili

 
Don't be daunted by the cook time, it only takes 30 minutes of prep, and the rest is done by your slow-cooker

Although I was born and raised in Southern California where Spanish, Mexican, and Southwestern cuisine influences abound, I was still the subject of a purely Irish/Italian/Midwestern diet. As such, this version of chili is more of a hybrid of beef stew and a good bean soup. Succulent, spicy, and saucy...just the way I like it.

People put lots of crazy things into chili - chocolate, peanut butter, garlic, bread, just to name a few - but for my money all you need is lots of beans, some good beef, and BEER! I cheated by using a can of salsa to spice up the base of my Chili. There are no shortage of great varieties in the "ethnic foods" section of my supermarket that have more exotic chili's than the ubiquitous Pace piquante sauce. I used Herdez Salsa Ranchera for this batch which has Jalapeno, Ancho, and Cascabel peppers. As if that wasn't spicy enough, I added a liberal dash of Spike seasoning... but that is a whole other story. There is also some debate over ground vs. chunks of beef, and after many failed attempts using ground, I used cubed chuck steak this go 'round which gave me the flavor and texture I was after. While I like my chili heavy on the beans, much of these measurements can be adjusted to taste.




Saucy Chili
Cook time 3-6 hours. Prep time 30 min.

Ingredients
1 to 1/2 lbs chuck roast, cubed.
1 8oz can diced tomatoes.
1 medium red onion, diced.
1 12oz bottle of your favorite beer (I used Eye of the Hawk Select Ale for this recipe which gave a great sweetness to the spicy edge)
2 to 4 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
1 Tablespoon chili powder (more if desired)
2 15oz cans red kidney beans

Method
1. Combine diced tomatoes, diced red onions, cumin, oregano, and 1 Tablespoon chili powder in your slow cooker or stock pot and set to low.
2. Meanwhile, cube and brown the chuck roast, I recommend a heavy cast iron skillet for this purpose. Note that the meat should be well browned but does not necessarily need to be cooked through.
3. Drain off as much fat as possible, there will still be plenty of juices left in the beef so don't worry if it seems like you are throwing away a lot of liquid.
4. Add beef to slow cooker or stock pot. Add beer and mix well.
5. Add 2 tablespoons cornstarch and mix well
6. Allow to cook on low for 3-5 hours.
7. Remove lid and allow to cook on high for an addition 30 minute to 1 hour until much of the excess liquid has cooked off. The final product should have a saucy, gravy like consistency. The additional 2 tablespoons of cornstarch may be added at this time to thicken the sauce if necessary. Additional chili powder may be added at this point as well if not spicy enough.

Serve with tortilla chips or cornbread!