Chili Colorado

This is as close as I'll ever get to authentic Mexican style red Chili. My “Little Grandma” made the best Chili Colorado I have ever tasted. She made it a few times a year, but always on Easter Even, the night before Easter, serving it with huge flour tortillas and potato salad. I was making Beef and Bean burritos with this stuff and didn't even know it!

Chili Colorado

9 dried New Mexico red chilies, washed, with stems and seeds removed

3 cups water

5 pounds boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed of fat

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon black pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large yellow onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon cumin powder

2 cups beef stock

Garnish: Minced green onion, shredded cheddar cheese, and sour cream

Place chilies and 3 cups water into a medium stockpot, and bring just to a boil. Remove from heat and steep for 30 minutes to soften. Strain into a bowl, reserving the cooking liquid. Place the chilies and some of the liquid into a blender, and puree until smooth. Add more liquid as necessary to form a smooth sauce. Pass sauce through a fine mesh strainer to remove any seeds and the tough skin pieces; set aside.

Cut the roast into 1-inch chunks. In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt, and pepper. Dredge the beef chunks in the seasoned flour; set aside.

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté onion until tender and translucent, about 5 minutes; add garlic and sauté addition 2 minutes. Add beef chunks a few at a time, so as not to overcrowd the pot, and cook until evenly browned. Remove cooked meat, and continue browning remaining meat.

Return reserved cooked meat to the pot. Sprinkle cumin over meat and stir in pureed chili mixture. Add beef stock to just cover beef chunks, or to personal preference. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to lowest setting, and simmer for 3 hours, or until meat is tender. If necessary, adjust with more stock during cooking.

Serve on a plate along side re-fried beans and Spanish rice.

Serves 12.