8 Alarm Chili Recipe
This is one hot chili, you can cut down the alarms by removing you’re choice of ingredients. But I dare you to try it like it’s shown here at least once.
Ingredients:
4 large Dried Ancho Chiles, stemmed and seeded
6 large Garlic Cloves, (3 finely chopped)
1 Tbsp. Salt, or to taste
1 1/2 Tbsp. Chili Powder
1 1/2 Tbsp. Ground Cumin
4 lbs. well-marbled Beef Brisket or Boneless Chuck, trimmed and cut into 2” pieces
3 to 4 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 (32 oz.) can Whole Tomatoes in juice
1/4 cup canned Chipotle Chiles in Adobo
1/2 cup Fresh Cilantro, coarsely chopped
4 Cups White Onions, chopped
1 Tbsp. Dried Oregano, crumbled
1 to 4 Fresh Serrano Chiles, finely chopped, including seeds
1 (12 oz.) bottle Beer (not dark)
2 Cups Water
2 1/2 Cups cooked Pinto Beans, rinsed if canned
Toppings
Avocado, cubed
White Onion, chopped
Cheddar, shredded
Fresh Cilantro, chopped
Sour Cream
Directions:
In hot water, soak the ancho chiles for 30 minutes, then drain well.
While the chiles are soaking, mince one of the garlic cloves, and mash into a paste with 1/2 Tbsp. of salt, 1/2 Tbsp. of chili powder, and 1/2 Tbsp. of cumin. In a large bowl, coat the beef cubes.
In a 6 to 7 qt. heavy pot, heat 2 Tbsp. of oil on high heat and brown the beef in 3 to 4 batches for 5 minutes each. Transferred the browned beef to another bowl as it’s cooked.
Purée the tomatoes (including the juice) in a blender with the anchos, cilantro, chipotles in adobo, 2 whole garlic cloves, and 1/2 Tbsp. of salt until the mixture is smooth.
Add 3 Tbsp. of oil to the fat in the pot, and cook the chopped garlic and onions over medium heat for about 8 to 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the remaining Tbsp. of chili powder, cumin, oregano and cook for another 2 minutes, making sure to stir. Add one chopped Serrano and the chili purée, and let simmer for 5 minutes.
Stir in the water, beef, and beef with any additional juice from the bowl, and let simmer, partially covered for 2 hours. Stirring occasionally.
You can add more Serrano for more alarms if desired, and continue to let simmer until the beef to tender and the sauce is starting to thicken, around 1 to 2 more hours.
Shred the meat, coarsely, in the pot with 2 forks, and let the chili cool completely, cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2 days before serving.
To serve, reheat over low heat, stirring occasionally for 30 minutes, add the beans, and let simmer for 5 minutes.
And Enjoy!
