Touchdown Chili
- 3 ancho chilies, stemmed and seeded
- 2 guajillo or pasilla chilies, stemmed and seeded
- 3 cups beef stock
- 1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil
- 1/2 pound fresh Mexican chorizo, casing removed or 1/3 pound center-cut bacon, finely chopped
- 2 pounds ground beef chuck, ask your butcher for a coarse grind
- Kosher salt (makes a nice crust on meat) and coarse black pepper
- 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 fresh chili, red Fresno or jalapeno, seeded and chopped or sliced for extra heat
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Mexican oregano, half a palmful
- 1 tablespoon cumin, a palmful
- 1 tablespoon coriander, a palmful
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- A pinch of cinnamon
- 1 12-ounce Negra Modelo beer
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 3 tablespoons masa harina or cornmeal
Place dried chilies in a pot and cover with stock. Bring to a low boil and reduce heat to low. Simmer gently, 10-15 minutes then pure and reserve.
Meanwhile, heat Dutch oven with vegetable or olive oil over high heat. Add chorizo or bacon and begin to render. Pat ground beef dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Add to pot and develop a nice crusty brown on beef. Add onions, garlic, fresh chili, oregano, cumin, coriander, cloves and cinnamon. Cook onions until soft; deglaze pan with beer. Stir in dried chili pure, honey and cornmeal; reduce heat and simmer to thicken and develop flavor, 45 minutes over low heat.
Cool and store for a make-ahead meal; then bring to room temp and add a little water to reheat over medium flame.
Serve with toppings of choice.