RECIPE

Beef Chili with Beans

  • ACTIVE: 30 MIN
  • TOTAL TIME: 2 HRS 30 MIN
  • SERVINGS: 8

"Chili means Halloween to me," Grant Achatz says. When he was growing up, his mother would always serve it to him and his cousins before they went trick or treating as a way to counteract the sugar buzz to come. The smoky, spicy version here is a slightly modified version of his mother's chili, made with ancho, pasilla and chipotle powders, plus a homemade blend of seasonings and fresh herbs.

  • ACTIVE: 30 MIN
  • TOTAL TIME: 2 HRS 30 MIN
  • SERVINGS: 8
  • MAKE-AHEAD

Ingredients

  • Ingredients
    1. 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
    2. 3 pounds ground beef chuck
    3. 2 large onions, finely chopped
    4. 1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
    5. 5 garlic cloves, minced
    6. 3 tablespoons pure ancho chile powder
    7. 3 tablespoons pure pasilla chile powder
    8. 3 tablespoons ground cumin
    9. 2 tablespoons ground coriander
    10. 1 tablespoon sugar
    11. 2 teaspoons chopped thyme
    12. 2 teaspoons chopped oregano
    13. 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    14. 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
    15. 3 cups low-sodium beef broth
    16. One 15-ounce can pinto beans
    17. One 14-ounce can diced tomatoes with the juices
    18. 5 chipotle chiles in adobo, seeded and finely chopped
    19. 1 cup tomato sauce
    20. 1/4 cup tomato paste
    21. 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
    22. Juice of 1 lime
    23. Salt

Directions

  1. In a large, heavy pot or a medium enameled cast-iron casserole, heat the oil. Add half of the ground beef and cook over high heat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 5 minutes; transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon. Brown the remaining ground beef. Return the first batch of browned beef to the pot.
  2. Add the onions and pepper to the pot and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, chile powders, cumin, coriander, sugar, thyme, oregano, black pepper and cayenne and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  3. Stir in the beef broth, pinto beans, tomatoes, chipotles, tomato sauce, tomato paste and the vinegar. Simmer the chili over low heat for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Add the lime juice, season with salt and serve.

Make Ahead

The chili can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.