María's Favorite Chili

Instructions

Stovetop Instructions: 

Add the roast chunks to a large mixing bowl and season them liberally with kosher salt. Sprinkle the flour and masa harina over the meat and toss, making sure each piece is coated. Shake the excess flour mixture off of the pieces, and reserve it. 

Place a large dutch oven over medium-high heat and drizzle in a couple of teaspoons of vegetable oil. Add the pieces of roast in a single layer, making sure not to crowd the pan so all the meat will sear well – leave about a 1/2″ of space between them. Let cook undisturbed for 3 minutes, then flip and sear the other sides. 

Continue in batches, until all the pieces have been seared, and set them aside to rest while you cook the ground sirloin. Add it to the dutch oven and sprinkle in the ancho chile powder along with a 1/2 tbsp each of seasoned salt, and garlic powder. Brown completely and drain any excess fat.

Stir the diced onions and peppers into the ground beef and cook for 5-7 minutes, until the onions begin to brown around the edges. When they do, sprinkle the leftover flour mixture – the stuff you used to coat the chuck roast pieces before searing – over the top, and stir that in. Stir until you don’t see any streaks of flour. 

Now, pour in the cans of diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, molasses, fish sauce, liquid smoke, brown sugar, and all remaining seasonings. Stir it all together, then stir in 8 cups of the beef broth. Taste and if needed, adjust the flavor with more seasoned salt if bland or brown sugar if tart/acidic/bitter. Bring the chili to a rolling boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cover with a lid. Let cook for 2 hours, undisturbed.

After two hours, remove the lid and use a spoon to skim off the grease that’s pooling on the surface. After you’ve removed as much as you can, go ahead stir everything a few times, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot as you go. Taste it again, and adjust for salt or sugar, if needed. Cover and continue cooking for another hour, undisturbed.

After another hour has passed, remove the lid and once again skim off any grease pooled on top. If you like a looser chili, go ahead and add extra beef broth, up to the entire two cups. Next, grab a piece of chuck roast and see if you can smash it apart with a spoon: if you can, go ahead and add the kidney beans if you’re using them. Let the chili come to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and cover again. Continue cooking for another couple of hours, until the chili has darkened in color and the mixture has thickened. Dassit! 

Slow-Cooker Instructions: 

Add the roast chunks to a large mixing bowl and season them liberally with kosher salt. Sprinkle the flour and masa harina over the meat and toss, making sure each piece is coated. 

Place a large dutch oven over medium-high heat – or if your slow cooker has a saute setting, use that – and drizzle in a couple of teaspoons of vegetable oil. Let it heat until the oil is shimmering.

Add the pieces of roast in a single layer, making sure not to crowd the pan so all the meat will sear well – leave about a 1/2″ of space between them. Let cook undisturbed for 3 minutes, then flip and sear the other sides. 

Continue in batches, until all the pieces have been seared, and set them aside to rest while you cook the ground sirloin. Add it to the dutch oven and sprinkle in the ancho chile powder along with a 1/2 tbsp each of seasoned salt, and garlic powder. Brown completely and drain any excess fat.

Stir the diced onions and peppers into the ground beef and cook for 5-7 minutes, until the onions begin to brown around the edges.

Heat a few teaspoons of olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet and add the beef in batches, searing on all sides.

When all the chunks and done add the ground beef. Season with 1/2 tbsp each of chili powder, seasoned salt, and garlic powder. Brown completely and drain the fat.

Add your diced onions and piers and cook until the onions begin to brown.

Add the veggies and meat to your crockpot, along with the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, molasses, fish sauce, liquid smoke, and all remaining seasonings. Then, pour in 9 cups of beef broth, reserving the rest in case you want to loosen the chili later. 

Stir together and taste and adjust with more salt or brown sugar if needed. Cook on low for 4 hours.

After 4 hours if you’re going to use the kidney beans and/or the extra broth, go ahead and stir them in. Cover and continue cooking for another 4 hours.

When the meat is tender and the mixture has thickened back up a bit, it’s ready. If you added too much broth, or just want it a tad thicker, add a cornstarch slurry (1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tsp cold water) and let cook for 10 minutes more.