Dutch Oven Chuck Roast Chili with Ancho Chiles

Name: Dutch Oven Chuck Roast Chili with Ancho Chiles
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 3 h 33 min
Total time: 4 h 3 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Ingredients: 4 large (about 2 oz) (55 g) dried ancho chiles, stemmed, slit open, and seeded; 1½ cups (360 ml) boiling water, just boiled; 2 peppers plus 1 tbsp sauce (40 g) chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, whole peppers with the sauce clinging to them; 3 lb (1360 g) boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed of large fat pieces, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes, patted very dry; 1 tbsp (9 g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt, divided: 2 tsp for the beef, 1 tsp for the pot (use half as much if using Morton or table salt); 1 tsp (2 g) freshly ground black pepper; 3 tbsp (45 ml) neutral oil such as avocado or canola, divided; 2 large (about 1 lb) (450 g) large yellow onions, cut into ½-inch (1 cm) dice; 6 cloves (18 g) garlic cloves, minced; 3 tbsp (48 g) tomato paste; 1 tbsp (7 g) ground cumin; 2 tbsp (15 g) mild chili powder; 1 tbsp (7 g) smoked paprika; 2 tsp (2 g) dried Mexican oregano, crumbled between your fingers; 12 fl oz (1 bottle) (355 ml) amber ale or Mexican lager, at any temperature; 28 oz can (794 g) canned crushed tomatoes; 1 cup (240 ml) low-sodium beef broth; 1 tbsp (13 g) light brown sugar, packed; 2 tbsp (16 g) masa harina, whisked with 3 tbsp (45 ml) cool water to a smooth slurry; 1 tbsp (15 ml) apple cider vinegar; 1 whole (about 2 oz) (67 g) lime, cut into wedges for serving; squeeze 1 wedge into the pot; sour cream, shredded sharp cheddar, sliced scallions, and cilantro, for serving, to taste (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Cubes of beef chuck braise for hours in a deep, smoky sauce built from toasted dried ancho chiles, tomatoes, onion and beer. The result is fork-tender beef in a rich, brick-red chili. It's a bean-free, Texas-style bowl.

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 3 hr 33 min
Wait: 35 min
Total: 4 hr 38 min
Makes: About 3 quarts (8 generous bowls)

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Ingredients

8 servings

For the chile sauce
4 large (about 2 oz) (55 g) dried ancho chiles, stemmed, slit open, and seeded
1½ cups (360 ml) boiling water, just boiled
2 peppers plus 1 tbsp sauce (40 g) chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, whole peppers with the sauce clinging to them
For the chili
3 lb (1360 g) boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed of large fat pieces, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes, patted very dry
1 tbsp (9 g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt, divided: 2 tsp for the beef, 1 tsp for the pot (use half as much if using Morton or table salt)
1 tsp (2 g) freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp (45 ml) neutral oil such as avocado or canola, divided
2 large (about 1 lb) (450 g) large yellow onions, cut into ½-inch (1 cm) dice
6 cloves (18 g) garlic cloves, minced
3 tbsp (48 g) tomato paste
1 tbsp (7 g) ground cumin
2 tbsp (15 g) mild chili powder
1 tbsp (7 g) smoked paprika
2 tsp (2 g) dried Mexican oregano, crumbled between your fingers
12 fl oz (1 bottle) (355 ml) amber ale or Mexican lager, at any temperature
28 oz can (794 g) canned crushed tomatoes
1 cup (240 ml) low-sodium beef broth
1 tbsp (13 g) light brown sugar, packed
To finish
2 tbsp (16 g) masa harina, whisked with 3 tbsp (45 ml) cool water to a smooth slurry
1 tbsp (15 ml) apple cider vinegar
1 whole (about 2 oz) (67 g) lime, cut into wedges for serving; squeeze 1 wedge into the pot
sour cream, shredded sharp cheddar, sliced scallions, and cilantro, for serving, to taste (optional)

Equipment (8)

6- to 7-quart (5.7–6.6 L) enameled cast-iron Dutch oven with lid
Blender (a standard or high-speed blender)
Large heatproof bowl or 4-cup (1 L) measuring cup for soaking chiles
Kettle or small saucepan for boiling water
Sharp chef's knife and cutting board
Tongs
Wooden spoon
Large plate or rimmed baking sheet for seared beef

Steps

Before you start

Use a 6- to 7-quart (5.7–6.6 L) Dutch oven with a tight lid. A smaller pot will crowd the beef and may boil over.
Cut the beef yourself from a whole chuck roast if you can. Hand-cut 1-inch cubes stay juicier and more tender than pre-cut stew meat.
Pat the beef very dry with paper towels. Wet meat steams instead of browning.
Plan on about 4½ hours start to finish. Most of it is hands-off oven time, and the chili tastes even better the next day.
Position an oven rack in the lower third and leave room for the pot. Preheat the oven when you start the onions (step 5).

1
Toast and soak chiles
- Set the empty Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Press the seeded ancho chiles flat into the pot in batches and toast 20–30 seconds per side, until they smell fruity and smoky and become slightly more pliable.
- Do not let them blacken.
- Move the chiles to a heatproof bowl and pour the 1½ cups (360 ml) boiling water over them.
- Weigh them down with a small plate so they stay submerged.
- Soak for 20 minutes.
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Ready when: Chiles are soft, pliable and deep brick-red, with no stiff spots.
Tip: Burnt chiles turn bitter, so pull them as soon as they smell toasty. Scorched ones are better thrown out and replaced.
2
Cube and season beef
- While the chiles soak, trim any large pieces of hard fat from the chuck and cut the meat into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes.
- Dice the onions and mince the garlic.
- Pat the beef very dry, then toss it in a bowl with 2 tsp of the kosher salt and the black pepper.
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Ready when: Cubes are roughly uniform and the surface of the beef looks dry, not wet.
Tip: Leave in the thin seams of fat and collagen. They melt during the braise and give the chili body.
3
Blend the chile sauce
- Move the soaked chiles and all of their soaking liquid to a blender.
- Add the chipotle peppers with 1 tbsp of adobo sauce and 1 cup (about 250 g) of the crushed tomatoes from the can.
- Blend on high for 60–90 seconds until completely smooth.
- Set aside.
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Ready when: The puree is a uniform dark red with no visible flecks of chile skin.
Tip: Start the blender on low and vent the lid. Hot liquid can push the lid off.
4
Sear beef in batches
- Set the oven rack in the lower third.
- Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in the Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it shimmers.
- Add about one-third of the beef in a single layer with space between the cubes.
- Sear without moving 3–4 minutes until a deep brown crust forms, then turn and sear the other sides 3–4 minutes more.
- Move the beef to a plate and repeat with the remaining two batches, adjusting the heat if the browned bits on the bottom begin to smell burnt.
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Ready when: Beef is deeply browned on most sides and releases easily from the pot; the pot bottom has a dark brown (not black) fond.
Tip: Crowding the pot drops the temperature and the meat steams and turns gray. Take your time and use three batches.
5
Soften the onionsOven 325°F / 165°C
- Lower the heat to medium and preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C).
- Add the remaining 1 tbsp oil and the diced onions to the pot with 1 tsp of the salt, scraping up the browned bits with a wooden spoon as the onions release moisture.
- Cook, stirring often, 8–10 minutes until the onions are soft, translucent and lightly golden at the edges.
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Ready when: Onions are soft and translucent with golden edges, and the bottom of the pot is mostly clean.
6
Bloom spices and paste
- Add the garlic, tomato paste, cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, oregano and brown sugar to the onions.
- Stir constantly for 1–2 minutes until the tomato paste darkens to brick red and the mixture smells toasty and fragrant.
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Ready when: Paste has darkened to brick red and the spices smell strongly toasty; the pot looks paste-like and fragrant.
Tip: Lower the heat if anything starts to stick or smell acrid. Burnt spices cannot be fixed.
7
Deglaze with beer
- Pour in the beer.
- Raise the heat to medium-high and scrape the bottom of the pot thoroughly with a wooden spoon to loosen all the browned bits.
- Boil for 4–5 minutes until the beer has reduced by about half and the sharp alcohol smell has mellowed.
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Ready when: Liquid has reduced by about half, looks syrupy around the edges, and the bottom of the pot is clean.
8
Assemble and bring to simmer
- Stir in the chile puree, the rest of the crushed tomatoes (scrape out the can), and the beef broth.
- Return the beef and any juices from the plate to the pot.
- Stir well so the beef is mostly submerged.
- Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-high heat, about 4–5 minutes, then cover with the lid.
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Ready when: Small bubbles break steadily around the edges of the pot and the beef is mostly covered by sauce.
9
Braise in the ovenOven 325°F / 165°C
- Put the covered pot in the 325°F (165°C) oven.
- After 90 minutes, take it out, stir once and re-cover, then braise another 60 minutes, for 2½ hours total.
- Test a cube by pressing it with a spoon.
- It should squash easily, and a fork should slide in with no resistance.
- If a cube still feels springy, braise another 20–30 minutes.
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Ready when: Beef falls apart when pressed with a spoon and a fork meets no resistance; the sauce is dark and slightly thickened with a faint ring of red oil at the edges.
Tip: Use oven mitts on the lid. It will be extremely hot, and a lid left slightly off will cause the chili to reduce too much.
10
Thicken and brighten
- Take the pot out of the oven and set it on the stovetop over medium-low heat.
- Stir in the masa slurry, cider vinegar and the juice of 1 lime wedge.
- Simmer uncovered for 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chili coats the back of a spoon.
- Taste and add up to ½ tsp more salt if needed.
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Ready when: Chili is thick enough that a spoon drawn across the bottom leaves a path that closes slowly; the flavor tastes balanced, not flat.
Tip: Add a splash of broth or water if it gets too thick. Add vinegar and lime gradually. A little brightens the pot, but too much sharpens it.
11
Rest and serve
- Turn off the heat, cover, and let the chili rest for 15 minutes so it settles and the flavors blend.
- Skim any excess orange fat from the surface with a spoon.
- Ladle into bowls and serve with lime wedges and toppings such as sour cream, cheddar, scallions and cilantro.
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Ready when: Chili has stopped bubbling, thickened slightly and is hot but not scalding.

Good to know

Tips

Searing the beef in batches is the biggest flavor step. Brown, crusty beef gives you a richer, deeper chili than gray, steamed beef.
Don't skip the soak and blend. Whole chiles in a puree give a smoother, more complex flavor than chili powder alone.
For more heat, leave a few ancho seeds in the blender or add a dried árbol chile when toasting; for less heat, use only one chipotle.
If your chili tastes flat after cooking, it usually needs a little more salt or acid, not more spice. Add salt first, then lime.

Make ahead

The chili tastes better after a night in the fridge. Cook through step 10, cool, and refrigerate in a covered container up to 3 days. Reheat gently over medium-low heat with a splash of broth or water, stirring often. You can also toast and blend the chile sauce a day ahead and refrigerate it in a jar.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: no more than 2 hours. Fridge: up to 4 days in an airtight container (cool it first, in shallow containers if you can). Freezer: up to 3 months in freezer-safe containers with ½ inch (1 cm) headspace; thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat on the stove over medium-low heat, stirring, until steaming hot (165°F/74°C), adding a splash of broth or water if it has thickened.

Substitutions

dried ancho chiles → dried guajillo chiles or New Mexico chiles. Guajillos give a brighter, tangier chili; using half ancho and half guajillo gives the best balance. Use the same weight.
amber ale or Mexican lager → additional low-sodium beef broth (1½ cups / 355 ml) plus 1 tbsp cider vinegar. This makes the chili alcohol-free but a little less malty and deep.
masa harina → 2 tbsp finely crushed corn tortilla chips, or simply simmer uncovered a little longer. Tortilla chips thicken in the same way and give a similar corn flavor.
chipotle peppers in adobo sauce → 1 tsp ground chipotle powder or ½ tsp cayenne. The chili will lose a little smoke and depth but will be just as spicy.