Chili con Carne

Ingredients

• 4 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
• 4 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
• 4 cups low-sodium beef broth, divided
• 3 lb boneless beef chuck, trimmed and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• 1 tbsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 3 tbsp neutral oil, divided
• 2 medium yellow onions, diced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp dried oregano, Mexican if you have it
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 chipotle in adobo, plus 1 tablespoon of the adobo sauce
• 1 can crushed tomatoes, 14.5 oz, or half a 28 oz can
• 2 cans kidney beans, 15 oz each, drained and rinsed
• 3 tbsp masa harina
• ½ cup water
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

To serve

• shredded cheddar, sour cream, sliced scallions (optional)

The salt amounts here are for Diamond Crystal kosher salt. If you have Morton kosher salt, use a little over half as much, because its grains are denser and saltier by the spoon.

Steps

1. Heat half the broth in a small saucepan or the microwave until steaming. Set a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Toast the chiles a few at a time, pressing them flat with a spatula, until they smell sweet and fruity and darken in spots, 15 to 20 seconds a side. Put them in a bowl, pour the hot broth over, and leave them to soften while you brown the beef.
2. Pat the beef dry and toss it with the salt. Heat a tablespoon of the oil in the pot over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Brown the beef in three batches without crowding, turning once, until two sides are deep brown, 5 to 6 minutes a batch. Add oil between batches as needed and move the browned beef to a bowl.
3. Take the pot off the heat. Blend the soaked chiles with their soaking broth, the chipotle and its tablespoon of adobo until completely smooth, a full minute or two; specks of skin stay gritty in the chili. Take the center cap out of the blender lid and hold a folded towel over the hole, since the broth is still warm.
4. Set the pot back over medium heat. Add the onions to the fat left in the pot and cook, scraping up the brown bits, until soft and golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, cumin, oregano and tomato paste and cook until the paste darkens, about 2 minutes.
5. Pour the chile purée into the pot right away and cook, stirring, until it thickens and darkens, about 3 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, the remaining broth, and the beef with its juices. Bring to a boil, then cover with the lid slightly ajar and cook at the barest simmer, stirring every 30 minutes, for 2 hours.
6. Stir in the beans and simmer uncovered until a cube of beef gives way when pressed against the side of the pot with a spoon, about 30 minutes more. If the beef still resists, keep going.
7. Whisk the masa harina into the water until smooth, stir it into the chili, and simmer until it thickens and the raw corn taste is gone, about 10 minutes. Stir in the vinegar, then taste and add salt. Serve with cheddar, sour cream and scallions on the side.

Notes

It tastes better the next day. Divide a full pot among shallow containers so it is cold in the fridge within 2 hours; it keeps 5 days in the fridge and freezes for 3 months. For Texas red, leave out the beans. For a faster pot, use 3 lb ground chuck, brown it in two batches, and simmer 45 minutes before the beans go in. Without guajillos, use 6 anchos in all; the chili comes out a little sweeter and darker.