Cooler weather means soups, stews, and chilis. Something about the change in seasons that brings these flavors back to the forefront of our minds. The great thing about bowl food is that it’s so flexible. These recipes are so easy to change up for a totally unique flavor profile.
In the “old days”, pots would simmer on the wood stove for days constantly being revived with new ingredients, broths, and whatever was available to keep the soup going one more day.
This Chile con Carne recipe comes to us from The Heritage Cookbook, a recipe book full of history and background on ethnic dishes from all over the world. Past Featured Chef, Russ Crandall authored this book and has some delicious classics within it’s pages.
Recipe Author: Russ Crandall | The Domestic Man from The Heritage Cookbook
Serves: 8
Prep Time: 20 min
Cook Time: 2 hrs
US Wellness Shopping List: Chicken Stock, Lard, Beef Chuck or Short Ribs
Ingredients
- 3 dried New Mexico, Guajillo, or Anaheim chiles, stems and seeds removed
- 3 dried Ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed
- 3 dried morita or chipotle chiles, stems and seeds remove
- 4 cups chicken stock, divided, more as needed
- 2 tbsp avocado oil or lard
- 4 lbs boneless beef chuck or short ribs, cut into 3/4” pieces
- 2 tsp kosher salt, more to taste
- 1 tsp black pepper, more to taste
- 2 medium onions, diced, divided (about 2 cups chopped)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tomatoes, grated
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 cinnamon stick
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
- 4 avocados, pitted and sliced
Instructions For Chile con Carne
- Warm a skillet over medium heat; in batches, add the chiles and toast until fragrant, but not smoking, about 30 seconds per side, then set aside. Bring 2 cups of the chicken stock to boil over high heat, then add the chiles and remove from heat; steep until softened, about 10 minutes. Transfer the stock and chiles to a high-speed blender and blend over high speed until smooth, about 30 seconds.
- Warm the oil in a deep skillet or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season the beef with salt and pepper, then brown in the skillet until browned and crispy at the edges, about 3 minutes per side, in batches if needed to prevent overcrowding; remove the beef and set aside. Reduce heat to medium, then add half of the onions and sauté until softened, about 6 minutes. Stir in the garlic and sauté until aromatic, about 30 seconds, then stir in the tomatoes, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, cumin, oregano, and coriander; sauté until the tomatoes are softened and darkened, about 10 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the beef, chile mixture, and enough chicken stock to nearly cover the beef, about 2 cups. Bring to a simmer, then partially cover and reduce heat to low. Gently simmer until the beef is tender, about 1 hour 30 minutes; after 1 hour of simmering, stir in the cocoa powder.
- Once the beef is tender, season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve garnished with chopped cilantro, sliced avocado, and the remaining chopped onions.
Meet The Chef
A big US Wellness thank you goes out to Russ Crandall, The Domestic Man. At his blog, you’ll find gluten-free and Paleo-friendly recipes. His recipes focus on classic, traditional, and international dishes from a historical, linguistic, and cultural perspective.
Check out his cookbooks! Russ released his debut cookbook, The Ancestral Table: Paleo Recipes for a Traditional Lifestyle, in February 2014, and his second cookbook, The New York Times-bestselling Paleo Takeout: Restaurant Favorites without the Junk, in June 2015. His most recent cookbook was released May 1, 2019, The Heritage Cookbook.
