Texas-Style Chili with Dried-Chile Broth

Authentic Texas chili is all about beef and smoky chile flavor—not beans and tomatoes. For extra smokiness and a rich chile depth, I toasted mild, dried New Mexico chiles and spicy chiles de arbol to create a base for the broth. Just a small amount of tomato puree adds a little sweet balance and helps with thickening.

New Mexico Chiles and Chiles de Arbol

The most important ingredient in a pot of delicious Texas chili is time—give it plenty, and your guests will thank you.

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 oz dried New Mexico chiles (5-6 chiles)
• 1/2 oz dried chiles de arbol (14-16 chiles)
• 3 cups beef broth, divided
• 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 2-1/2-lb beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 2 fresh, hot chiles (such as cayenne, serrano, or fresh chiles de arbol), chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp cornmeal
• 1/2 cup tomato puree
• 2 tsp Mexican oregano
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• garlic-butter toast and sour cream, for serving

Beef Ready to Braise

Preparation

1. Heat a large, deep pot over medium heat and add the New Mexico chiles. Toast until fragrant, turning to prevent burning, 2-3 minutes. Remove to a large heatproof bowl and repeat with the chiles de arbol. 
2. Cover the chiles with boiling water, submerging as much as possible, and let stand 30 minutes.

Toasted New Mexico Chiles

Toasted  Chiles de Arbol

Soaked Chiles

1. Remove the chiles from the water and tear off the stem ends. Split the chiles in half lengthwise and gently scrape out the seeds with your fingers. Coarsely chop the flesh. 
2. Place the chopped chiles in a food processor along with 1/2 cup beef broth. Process until the chiles are very finely chopped into a paste, scraping down the sides of the bowl a few times. Set the chile paste aside.

Seeded Soaked Chiles

Chopped Chiles Ready to Puree 

Dried Chile Paste

1. Heat the same large pot over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the beef and cook until browned, turning once or twice, about 10 minutes total. Remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl and drain excess liquid from the pot.

Beef Beginning to Brown 

Browned Beef

1. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the pot. Add the onion, fresh chiles, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften, 3-4 minutes.

Onion, Chiles, and Garlic Beginning to Cook

1. Whisk the cornmeal with the remaining 2 1/2 cups of beef broth and add to the pot. Return the beef to the pot and add the reserved chile paste, tomato puree, oregano, and cumin and season with salt and pepper.
2. Bring to a simmer, stirring well to combine. Reduce the heat to its lowest point and cook the chili gently until the beef is tender and the broth is slightly thickened, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. (Leave the lid slightly ajar to help thickening, if necessary.) 
3. Remove from the heat and let the chili rest 10 minutes before serving.

Chili Beginning to Cook

Cooked Chili

To serve, divide the chili among 6 shallow bowls and garnish each with garlic-butter toast slices and a dollop of sour cream. 

Texas-Style Chili with Dried-Chile Broth