Mark's Cookery: 5 Chile Chili

1 1/2 lb. Bottom Round Steaks

1 lb. Pork Shoulder Steaks

2 Onions, medium, diced

3 cloves Garlic, minced

4-5 Japones Chile Peppers

2 Ancho Chile Peppers

2 Guajillo Chile Peppers

7 oz. Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce, can

4 oz. Green Chile Peppers, Mild, can

1 c. Wine

2 Tbs. Tomato Paste

15 oz. Tomatoes, crushed

15 oz. Tomatoes, stewed

16 oz. Salsa, medium

2 Tbs. Beef broth concentrate

1 Tbs. Cumin

2 Tbs. Chili Powder

Made a chili over the weekend. This one uses chunks of beef and pork seared then simmered with tomatoes, onions and chile peppers. Let's get started! Preheat your oven to 350F.

To begin this is chili and to most that means spicy heat. I made this one with 5 varieties of chiles. I also tried to keep the heat to a low-medium. Choosing chile peppers is a matter of personal taste. I like a little variety to mine. NOTE: the numbers in () are Scoville Heat Units. For reference, Jalpenos are 2500-8000 SHU and sweet green peppers are 0 SHU. First I use 4 or 5 Japones (15,000-30,000 SHU) for a little fire. These peppers don't add much flavor beyond their spicy heat. A 7oz can of Chipotle (2500-8000 SHU) in Adobo sauce for overall mellow heat and complex spice and smoke flavor. Next 2 Ancho chiles (1000-1500 SHU) for their coffee tinged, earthy sweetness and mild heat. Then 2 Guajillo chile (2500-5000) for its tangy cranberry-like fruitiness, mild heat and subtle smoke flavor. I also added a can of mild green chiles (est. 250-1000 SHU) for added sweetness and bright flavor. There are so many varieties of chiles available that I have a website bookmarked on my phone that I can use as a reference when shopping.

http://www.pepperscale.com/hot-pepper-list/

For the meat I found bottom round steak and pork shoulder steak on sale. The cook time on this dish is so long, almost any inexpensive cut of meat will work. The longer it cooks the more tender it becomes. I used about 1 1/2 lb of beef and 1 lb of pork. I cut these into about 3/4 inch cubes. Then seared them in about 2 Tbs olive oil in a medium high Dutch oven on the stove top. Do this in small batches and avoid over crowding the pan. This keeps the pan hot and lets moisture escape so the meat sears to a nice brown crust faster. Remove the meat from the pan reduce the heat to medium.

Add 2 more Tbs olive oil and 2 medium diced onions. Allow these to soften and begin to brown then add 2 or 3 minced garlic cloves. Add your dried chile peppers at this time. I used my kitchen shears to cut-up the peppers right into the pan. You can cut the stem end off your pepper and shake the seeds out before cutting up the rest of the pepper into 1/8 inch pieces.

After the peppers are added and the onions well browned I made a well in the middle of the pan and added I 2 oz. of tomato paste. Smear this around a bit. You want this to get a bit scorched. Trust me this adds a lot of flavor! When the tomato paste is much darkened, mix it into the rest of the pan.

Next add 1 cup of wine to the pan and scrape all the goodness from the bottom to deglaze. You can use almost any liquid at this point. I have made chili with wine, beer even tequila!. When using beer use any good ale (stay away from stouts, porters or hoppy beers including most lagers as they can be bitter when cooked). Let the wine (or whatever) reduce down at least 3/4s about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the beef back to the pan along with the beef broth concentrate, followed by the canned tomatoes and chiles. The final seasoning is cumin, chili powder. Chili powder is best when purchased fresh from a spice specialty store or when you make it yourself using fresh spices. Here is a good recipe from the internet. http://www.food.com/recipe/chili-powder-16892.

After it is all well combined let it come to a slow boil then cover with a tight fitting lid and place in to the oven. Let this cook for at least 3 hours. (8-12 hours would not be out of the question.) Just check it periodically to stir and add a little water if needed. You do want it to reduce a bit to thicken to a good chili consistency that you like.

Serve with your choice of condiments, Cheese and jalapeno slices for me!