Recently I've been on this cooking-different-foods journey and basically teaching myself proper cooking techniques. My husband appreciates the time I'm putting towards it and it provides me with an opportunity to learn something new, which has been somewhat missing since I changed careers once my son was born. I've also been inspired by my dear friend/cousin's cooking website TheRedBirdLife.com. (My pictures are taken with a little point and click camera so they barely get the job done but you'll get the idea).

This was the first recipe I wanted to try once I owned a dutch oven. I even bought the meat about 6 weeks prior in anticipation of making this dish. It was every bit of delicious I was hoping it would be. 

Again, I was able to get grass fed beef and it was incredible to have beef chuck just melt in your mouth as you ate it. Preparing the beef chuck and browning the meat were the most time consuming parts about this dish. After trimming the fat, I ended up with about a pound more than required but I wouldn't change that. The main ingredient in this dish is the meat.


 
 


 Note about chile peppers: I could only find two of the three requested chiles. I removed the seeds and ribs as they mention you may want to do if you "prefer mild chili." I don't prefer mild chili. I love spicy foods but since this was my first time trying this dish and its whole point is that it's supposed to be spicy, I wasn't taking any chances. SO GLAD I didn't take any chances. This was spicy. I can't imagine the experience had I left the seeds intact and used the third pepper. I was already downing water and milk with this meal. And I was thankful for the sour cream dollop. Also, WEAR LATEX GLOVES when handling these peppers. They recommended it but I foolishly disregarded this memo because I didn't have any. My hands were on fire for hours. Ouch.

I left out the red bell pepper at the last minute for personal reasons. Not my favorite of flavors and my husband strongly cautioned me against including it. Additionally, I haven't mastered the pulse feature on my food processor so most of my stuff ends up getting liquified. In this case, it didn't matter because it essentially pureed the whole tomatoes. I chose to use beef stock instead of water.
 
 



I absolutely loved the smell of the meat cooking and the lovely sauce marinating and once it all came together in the dutch oven, it was sensational to the olfactory system. We were supposed to have leftovers and eat this for dinner the following night but it didn't happen. And there are only two of us!

Chili con Carne
Williams-Sonoma: Mastering Soups and Stews
 
Ingredients:
1 jalapeno chile
1 serrano chile
1 poblano chile
1 small red bell pepper (capsicum), stemmed and seeded
2 lb (1kg) well-marbled boneless beef chuck, fat trimmed, cut into 1/3-1/4 inch cubes and patted dry
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoons canola oil
8 cloves garlic, minced
4 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 can (28 oz) plum (Roma) tomatoes, with their juices, finely chopped in a food processor
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 cups (16 fl. oz.) beef stock or water
1 cup (8 oz) sour cream, optional
12 sprigs fresh cilantro

1. Prepare the chiles and pepper
If you prefer a mild chili, remove the seeds and ribs from the chiles, as they carry most of the heat, and then chop the chiles finely. Measure out 1/2 cup (4oz) of the mixed chiles and set aside. Dice the bell pepper.

2. Brown the beef
Sprinkle the meat cubes evenly with 1 tsp of the salt and 1/8 tsp of the pepper. Place a large, heavy frying pan over medium heat and add 1 Tbl of the canola oil. When the surface of the oil appears to shimmer, add the beef cubes in batches and brown them on all sides, about 5 minutes for each batch. Do not crowd the pan, or the meat will steam instead of brown, and adjust the heat as necessary to sear the meat immediately on contact. As each batch is browned, use a slotted spoon to transfer it to a small Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot.

3. Cook the vegetables
Add the remaining 1 Tbl canola oil to the frying pan over medium heat. When the surface of the oil appears to shimmer, add the chiles, bell pepper, and garlic and cook, stirring, until the vegetables have softened and are beginning to turn golden, about 5 minutes.   Stir in the chili powder, cumin, and coriander and cook for about 1 minute to develop the flavor of the spices. Add the tomatoes, oregano, and the remaining 1 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper, stirring well to scrape up the browned buts from the pan bottom.

4. Simmer the chili
Add the vegetable mixture to the Dutch oven with the beef. Place the Dutch oven over medium heat, add the stock, and bring to a gentle boil, stirring occasionally. As soon as you see large bubbles begin to form, reduce the heat until only small bubble occasionally break the surface. Cover the pot and cook until the meat is very tender and the liquid is slightly thickened, about 2 1/2 hours. If the chili seems too soupy, uncover it for the last 30 minutes to evaporate some of the liquid. About 10 minutes before you plan to serve the chili preheat the oven to 200*F and place the individual bowls in the oven to warm.

5. Adjust the seasonings and serve the chili
Taste the chili; it should be quite boldly spiced, but if you feel the flavors are a little dull, stir in a bit more salt or pepper. Spoon the chili into the warmed bowls and top with sour cream and cilantro sprigs. Serve right away.