Beef Chili Recipe

There is no better
meal in the fall and winter than a big bowl of chili.  Most
beef chili recipes use a premixed chili powder for seasoning but
this recipe shows you how to mix your own.  A variety of dried
chili powders can be found at local Mexican groceries or even health
food stores. 

Places like Whole
Foods even sell dried whole peppers that you can grind for your
personal use.  The best way to grind whole dried peppers is to
use an electric coffee grinder.  I would recommend having
separate grinders for spices and coffee.  I’m not sure how
chili flavored coffee tastes, and I don’t think I want to find out
any time soon.

Prep time: 30 min

Cooking time: 3 hours

10 servings

Beef Chili Recipe Ingredients

• 3 pounds ground beef
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 cups beef broth
• 1 15 oz can red pinto beans
• 1 14 oz can diced tomatoes (do not drain)
• 1 15 oz can tomato sauce

• 1 6 oz can tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 2 large onions, diced finely
•  1 large green bell pepper, diced finely
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
•  3 tablespoons ancho chile powder
•  3 tablespoons pasilla chile powder
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 3 tablespoons cumin, ground
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
•  1 teaspoon black pepper, ground
•  1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 4 chipotle peppers, seeded and chopped in adobo sauce

Beef

Chili Directions

In a large pot, heat the brown the ground beef, making sure to
continuously break up large pieces with a spoon or spatula. 
Once browned drain fat off of ground beef.  Return the ground
beef to the pot.

Add onions and green bell pepper to the ground beef and cook over
medium heat with stirring until the onions are soft and translucent.

Add the garlic, ancho chile powder, pasilla chile powder, cumin,
sugar, thyme, cayenne powder, oregano, and black pepper.  Heat
over medium heat with stirring for 12 minutes.

Pour in the beef broth, pinto beans, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce,
tomato paste, cider vinegar and chipotle peppers.  Stir to mix
well.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for at least 2 hours
before serving or refrigerating.

Cook’s Note: 
Most chili recipes with beef have you leave the fat in the chili
then remove it once you have refrigerated the chili overnight. 
You can also do that with this beef

chili recipe, but if you are
serving the chili right away, you should go ahead and drain the fat
off.

By Danna Vach