Chili con Carne with Jalapeno Cornbread

Chili con Carne and Jalapeno Cornbread Dish Guide

Serves 4

For the Chili

2.5 lbs beef chuck roast, cubed into 1”-2” pieces

3 serrano peppers, diced

2 jalapeño peppers, diced

1 white onion, diced

3 each dry ancho, New Mexico, and guajillo chilis

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 T honey

1 T Worcestershire sauce

1 T tomato paste

2 cups beef stock

2 cups water (or beer)

1 t ground cumin

2 T olive oil

Juice of 1 lime

Salt and Pepper to taste

Sour cream, green onions and lime wedges for garnish (optional)

Cut the stem off the dried chilis. Shake out as many of the seeds as you can and discard along with the stems. Soak in boiling water for 25-30 minutes. While they soak you can prep all the other ingredients as described above.

Place the peppers in a blender along with ½ cup of the soaking liquid. Blend on high power for 1-2 minutes, adding more soaking liquid if needed to form a loose chili paste. Set aside.

Season the beef with the cumin and salt and pepper.

Heat 2 T of oil over medium high heat in a brazier or Dutch oven. Sear the cubes of beef on all sides, working in batches if needed. Once it is all seared, set it aside. Add the onion, garlic, serrano and jalapeno peppers to the pot and cook out for 4-5 minutes until just softening. Add the tomato paste and stir it in, cooking 1-2 minutes. Add the chili paste and cook it out for 3-4 minutes to develop flavor.

Add the beef stock and scrape the bottom of the pot to release any fond. Add the water (or beer, if using) along with the honey and Worcestershire. Stir everything to combine. Return the beef to the pot along with any accumulated juices. Cover and simmer for 2 hours. Remove the lid and simmer an additional 30-40 minutes or until the liquid has reduced by about half. Squeeze in the lime juice and adjust seasoning to taste.

Serve immediately garnished with sour cream, cilantro, green onions, fresh lime wedges, etc. Leftovers will keep for 3-4 days tightly covered in the fridge.

For the Jalapeno Cornbread

1 egg, beaten

1 cup milk

1 cup cornmeal

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 t baking powder

¼ t baking soda

¼ cup olive oil (plus more for greasing the skillet)

2 T honey

½ cup minced fresh jalapenos (seeds removed)

½ t salt

½ cup grated cheddar cheese

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir thoroughly to combine.

Preheat a 10”-12” cast iron skillet in an oven at 350 degrees F. Once oven is hot, remove the skillet and grease the bottom and sides with oil. Pour in the batter and make sure it is even in the pan. Optionally, garnish the top with a few additional slices of jalapeno.

Bake 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the very center pulls out clean.

Let rest for at least 30 minutes before serving.