Chili Colorado

Do you know the difference between Texas style chili and Chili Colorado? Other than the name, not much as far as I can see. In fact, both are made from chunks of beef in a deep red sauce, there's no tomatoes in either and there's not a bean to be seen. 

I do know the chili I made last night had lots of garlic, onions and additional spices including cumin, smoked chipotle chili powder and cayenne pepper along with the red chile sauce made from reconstituting dried New Mexico chiles and whizzing them up in the food processor. A trip through a wire mesh strainer and the resulting smooth, rich liquid fire is the soul of the braising liquid along with a can of my favorite beef consomme.

A little extra sauce is a good thing because a foggy rainy cool day on the coast is a perfect excuse for dipping corn tortillas in a spicy rich bowl of chunked up beef. As to a reason for the excessive amount of cheese, peppers and onions ...hey it's a Big Guy garnish and he knows what he likes! 

Chili Colorado an original from JBug's Kitchen

2 pounds beef eye of round or chuck roast cut into 3/4 inch cubes

Salt and coarse ground black pepper

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons chili powder (I used dried chipotle)

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

2 cups prepared homemade red chile sauce

1 can beef consomme

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon white vinegar

Salt if needed

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add oil and heat to shimmering. Season beef cubes well with salt and pepper and coat with flour. Brown in batches in hot oil and remove to a bowl. Add onion and garlic to pot and sauté stirring often until onion is softened. Add cumin, chili powder, and cayenne if using and cook stirring constantly for 1 minute. Return meat to the pot and add red chile sauce and consomme. Bring meat to a high simmer, then lower heat, cover and cook stirring often until meat is very tender – about 1-1/2 hours. Remove from heat and stir in honey and white vinegar. Taste for seasoning, adding salt as required. Serve with sour cream, grated cheese and tortillas.  Makes 4 large servings.   

Red Chile Sauce

10 dried New Mexico Chiles, washed, stems removed and seeded

3 cups boiling water

Place dried chiles in a medium pot. Cover with boiling water and let steep for 30 minutes. Place chiles and half of water into a blender and pulse until mixture is smooth. Pass sauce through a wire mesh strainer to remove seeds and pulp. 

A year ago - Potato Latkes with Smoked Salmon 

Two years ago - Pumpkin Scones with Candied Ginger

Three years ago -  Pork Stew with Cider

 

Comments

[Lea Callais]

Well, hello you big beautiful bowl of red chili that I could actually eat - on the list of things to make soon - it is actually in the low 50s out there - and you would think it was in the 30s the way people are bundled up = of course I am still in shorts! ;) hehehehe

[June]

Yes you could eat this one as there's not a tomato in sight. So glad it has cooled off a bit.

[Lorraine]

What a great (and spicy) bowl of red. Bet that had you sweating.

[June]

That it did but nothing like a little dollop of Daisy to cool the savage. LOL