2(15 oz) cansblack beans or pinto beans, drained and rinsed
Optional Toppings:
Mexican Crema, or Sour Cream
Cilantro
Radishes
Shredded Cheese
Onion
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Instructions
Heat a saucepan of water until boiling, then place the chilis in the hot water. Boil for 5 minutes, then remove from the heat. Place a bowl or plate on the chilis to hold them down in the water. Soak the chilis for 20 minutes.
While the chiles soak, heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed pan, then add a few cubes of meat to the hot pan. Brown on all sides, then remove from the pan. Repeat until all the meat has been browned.
Once all the meat has been browned, add the onion and garlic and cook for three minutes.
Spoon the chilis from the water and place them in a blender or food processor. Add half the cooked onion/garlic mixture, 1 cup of beef broth, tomatoes, chipotles, oregano, salt, cumin, sugar and pepper. Blend until smooth.
Add the meat to the pan and pour the sauce into the pan. Add the remaining broth to the pan and stir. Simmer over medium-low heat for an hour.
Add the beans to the pan and simmer for another 20 to 30 minutes, until the sauce has cooked down and thickened and meat is fork tender.
Serve with your favorite toppings!
Notes
Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. It gets even more flavorful overnight!Reheat: To reheat, you can microwave the desired amount, or you can heat it on the stove over medium-low heat until warmed through.Freeze: Leftovers freeze amazing for another easy dinner later, we often make a double batch to have another day. Make sure to cool chili completely, then package it in an airtight container or zip-top bag, and mark it with the date. Frozen chili con carne will keep well in the freezer for up to 3 months. For best results, transfer frozen chili to the fridge to thaw for 24 hours before you want to serve it.Slow Cooker Option: Instead of letting everything simmer on the stove, you can transfer everything (beef, sauce and beans) to a crockpot, and let it cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or low for 6 to 8 hours, until tender.Less Spicy: If you are worried about how spicy your chili will be, cut back on the chipotles in adobo sauce. The other chilis are more mild and smoky, the real heat come from the canned chipotles in adobo sauce.Mexican Oregano: If you can’t find this, marjoram is similar and can be substituted.Excess Fat: Some chuck roasts are fattier than others. If yours is extra-fatty, you can trim some of it away, but don’t go overboard – the fat will melt during the cooking process, adding lots of flavor and tenderness.Browning the Meat: Browning the chunks of beef adds a hearty flavor to the chili, so don’t skip it! Make sure you cook them a few pieces at a time, so the meat browns rather than steaming.Roasted Chilis: If you wish to roast the chilis, you can toast them in a hot pan for a couple minutes, or you can roast them on a baking pan in the oven. Be careful not to burn the chilis, or they will make the chili bitter. Also make sure there is good ventilation when roasting chilis! The steam and/or smoke can cause irritation to your throat.Sugar: The added sugar in this recipe is simply to cut the acidity – it won’t make the chili sweet.