Seven-Chile Texas Chili

D's mom got me The Homesick Texan's Cookbook for Christmas.  I want to make everything in there with the exception of meatloaf.  But eh.  With the cold streak that hit the East Coast, I knew we had to have chili this weekend, and I knew the one in the Cookbook was the one I wanted.

D and I made the trek out after the gym to get all the ingredients.  4 stores later (Kroger, Aldi, Sonic and the local bogeda) we had all the ingredients (plus all our grocery shopping for the week done).

D made it.  I tasted it after 4 hours of cooking.  I told him it was a little bland.  He looked so relieved, because he thought so as well.  He thought it needed more cumin. I thought it needed garlic.  So he made a blend of salt, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, and paprika and added it.  Yep, that's what it needed.

D thinks that we should substitute some of the water with beef broth. We didn't do that this time.

It was slightly hot but good stick to your ribs chili.  I would definitely have again.  We had with rice, cheese and sour cream.

Seven-Chile Texas Chili

Photo by ALB

From Lisa Fain, The Homesick Texan Cookbook
Preparation time: 20 minute(s)
Cooking time: 5 hour(s)
Number of servings (yield): 8

Ingredients
6 dried ancho chiles
2 dried pasilla chiles
2 dried guajillo chiles
2 dried chipotle chiles (used 2 in adobo sauce)
4 dried chiles de arbol
4 pieces of bacon
4 pounds chuck roast, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 large onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup brewed coffee
1 bottle of beer (used Newcastle Brown)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground clove
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon grated Mexican hot chocolate (used 5 chocolate chips)
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
4 dried pequin chiles (used 1 1/2 tsps of ground)
2 tablespoons masa harina (used corn meal)
Added 1/2 tsp salt
Added 1/2 tsp garlic powder
Added 1/2 tsp cumin (in addition to what was called out)
Added 1/4 tsp paprika
Added 1/4 tsp onion powder
Added 4 Cups of Beef Broth
Grated cheddar and chopped onions, for serving(Nutritional Info doesn't account for)

Instructions
Remove the seeds and stems from the dried chiles. In a dry skillet heated on high, toast the ancho chiles, pasilla chiles, guajillo chiles, chipotle chiles, and chiles de arbol on each side for about 10 seconds or just until they start to puff. Fill the skillet with enough water to cover chiles. Leave the heat on until the water begins to boil and then turn off the heat and let the chiles soak until soft, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large, heavy pot such as a Dutch oven, fry the bacon on medium heat. When it’s done, remove from the pan and drain on a paper-towel lined plate. Leave the bacon grease in the pot, and on medium heat, cook the beef on each side until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. (You may have to do this in batches.)

Remove the browned beef from the pot. Leaving the heat on, add the diced onions to the pot and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. Add the beef back into the pot, crumble in the bacon, and add the coffee, beer, cumin, oregano, cinnamon, clove, allspice, cayenne, chocolate, 3 cups of water (used beef broth), and salt. Turn the heat up to high. While the pot is coming to a boil, make the chile puree. Drain and rinse the chiles then place them in a blender along with the pequin chiles (you don’t need to presoak these little chiles) and 1 cup of fresh water. Puree until nice and smooth and then pour the chile puree into the pot. (Add the added seasonings here).

When the chile begins to boil, turn the heat down to low and simmer uncovered for 5 hours, stirring occasionally. Taste it once an hour and adjust the seasonings. If it starts to get too dry, add more broth. After 5 hours, scoop out 1/4 cup of broth out of the pot and combine with the masa harina. Pour the masa harina mixture into the pot and stir until the chili is thickened. Let the chili simmer for another 30 minutes or so. When done, serve with cheddar and onions.

Nutritional Information (from My Fitness Pal)
Does not include garnishes or add-ons like rice, cheese, sour cream, etc.
Calories: 228; Carbs: 17; Fat: 8; Protein: 22; Sodium: 455; Fiber: 5

Ingredients for MFP calculations
Generic - Dried Chile Ancho, 6 chile: 288 calories
 Peppers - Pasilla, dried, 2 pepper: 48 calories
Generic - Guajillo Dried Pepper, 2 pepper: 36 calories
El Guapo - Chile De Arbol Entero - Dried Red Pepper, 4 dried pepper: 4calories
Aldi - Grandessa Signature - Center Cut Bacon, 4 pan fried slices (15g) 100 Generic - Bottom Round Steak, 4 lbs: 920 calories
Onions - Raw, 1 large: 63 calories
Generic - Fresh Garlic Clove, 6 Clove (3.0 g): 24 calories
Sonic - Coffee - Regular (14 oz), 8 z: 6 calories
Newcastle Brown Ale - Beer, 12 oz.: 140 calories
Spices - Cumin, 3 tsp: 24 calories
Spices - Oregano, dried, 1 tsp, ground: 6 calories
Spices - Cinnamon, ground, 0.5 tsp: 3 calories
Medicinemeals*(R) Herbs and Spices - Fresh Ground Clove, 0.25 tsp: 2 calories
Spices - Allspice, ground, 0.5 tsp: 2 calories
Spices - Pepper, red or cayenne, 0.5 tsp: 3 calories
Morton - Coarse Kosher Salt, 4 grams (1/4 tsp): 0 calories
Chocolate Chip -- Nestle - Toll House - Semi-sweet Chocolate Morsels, 1 tbsp (14 g): 70 calories
Cayenne Pepper, Tone's - Cayenne Pepper, Ground, 1.5 teaspoon: 0 calories
Kroger - Yellow Corn Meal, 2 Tbsp. (27g): 60 calories
Morton - Iodized Table Salt, 0.5 teaspoon: 0 calories
Spices - Cumin, 0.5 tsp: 4 calories
Spices - Garlic powder, 0.5 tsp: 5 calories
Spices - Onion powder, 0.25 tsp: 2 calories
Spices - Paprika, 0.25 tsp: 2 calories
Herdez - Chipotle Pepper In Adobo Sauce, 2 pieces: 10 calories