5 Alarm Chili
5 alarm chili: ground beef and pinto beans simmered in beer and a blended ancho, tomato, tortilla chip and chipotle sauce, with jalapeños, chili powder and cayenne. Very hot. Serves 6.
Want This Recipe Later?
Ingredients
- 2 ounces dried ancho chiles 4 to 6, stems and seeds removed, flesh torn into 1-inch pieces
- 3 1/2 cups water 1 1/2 cups to soften the chiles, 2 cups for the blender
- 28 ounces whole peeled tomatoes 1 can, with their juice
- 3/4 cup corn tortilla chips crushed
- 1/4 cup chipotle chilis in adobo sauce canned, plus 2 teaspoons of the adobo sauce
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 teaspoons for the beef, 4 teaspoons for the onions
- 2 pounds ground beef 85% lean
- salt and pepper 1 teaspoon salt for the beef
- 2 medium onions chopped fine
- 2 jalapeno chilis stemmed and minced, seeds included; use 1 for less heat
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper use 1/2 teaspoon for less heat
- 1 1/2 cups beer a plain beer
- 3 cans pinto beans 15 ounces each, rinsed
Instructions
- Combine the ancho chiles and 1 1/2 cups of the water in a medium microwave-safe bowl and microwave until softened, about 2 1/2 to 3 minutes. Drain and discard the liquid.
- Put the anchos, tomatoes and their juice, the remaining 2 cups of water, the tortilla chips and the chipotles in adobo in a blender and process until smooth, about 1 minute. Set aside.
- Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a Dutch oven until it starts to smoke. Add the beef, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper and cook until well browned, breaking it up, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain the meat in a colander and set aside.
- Heat the remaining 4 teaspoons of oil in the Dutch oven and add the onions and jalapeños with their seeds. Cook about 5 minutes, until the onion is nicely browned. Stir in the garlic, cumin, chili powder, oregano, coriander, sugar and cayenne and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Pour in the beer and bring to a simmer.
- Add the beans, the ancho-tomato sauce and the beef and return to a simmer. Cover, reduce the heat to low and cook 50 to 60 minutes, stirring now and then, until the beef reaches 160F on a food thermometer.
Notes
Very hot as written. For less heat use 1 jalapeño and 1/2 teaspoon cayenne. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and eat within 3 to 4 days; reheat to a rolling boil.
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 672kcalCarbohydrates: 51.7gProtein: 41.8gFat: 32.3gSodium: 793mgFiber: 14gSugar: 7.8g
Made this recipe? Tap a star to rate it.