Hot-Sauce Chili
Submitted by Jaromy
Hot-sauce chili simmers cubed beef chuck with green chilies, hot pepper sauce, chili powder, and cumin into a no-bean Texas-style chili. Two-stage cook for fork-tender beef.
YIELD
8 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
101 minREADY
121 minHot-sauce chili is a Texas-leaning, no-beans, all-beef chili built around cubed beef roast rather than ground beef, simmered until the chunks fall apart at fork-pressure. Two teaspoons of red hot pepper sauce and four ounces of canned green chilies build the heat, while chili powder and cumin handle the depth.
The two-stage simmer is what makes the beef tender. Forty-five minutes covered traps moisture and breaks down the connective tissue. The next 45 minutes uncovered drives off liquid to concentrate the chili into a clinging, spoonable consistency rather than a watery stew.
Blooming the spices in oil for one minute before adding the liquid is the move chefs use to wake up chili powder. Dry spices added directly to liquid taste flat; a quick fat-bloom releases their aromatic compounds.
Chef Tips
- Use beef chuck or shoulder, not lean cuts. The collagen in well-marbled cuts is what melts into silky tenderness during the long simmer. Lean cuts go dry and stringy.
- Drain the liquid after the initial 5-minute cook on the beef. That released water is mostly meat juice and dilutes the final chili if left in.
- Cube the beef into uniform 1-inch pieces. Mixed-size cubes mean some chunks turn to mush while others stay tough at the same simmer time.
- Taste and adjust hot sauce at the end. The heat builds during simmering, so what tastes mild at the start can be punishing 90 minutes later.
Variations
- Add a can of black beans or pinto beans in the last 15 minutes for a heartier bean-version chili (no longer Texas-style).
- Stir in a square of dark chocolate at the end for a Mexican-style mole-like depth.
- Substitute fresh jalapeños or serrano peppers for the canned green chilies for a fresher heat.
Serve over rice topped with shredded cheese, chopped onions, and sour cream.
Ingredients
Directions
In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat; add the beef and cook for 5 minutes then drain off the liquid.
Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the beef is browned on all sides and the onion is tender.
Add the chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper sauce; cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Add the water and chilies and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Uncover and simmer for 45 more minutes or until the beef is fork-tender, stirring occasionally.
Notes: Serve over rice and garnish with chopped onions, shredded cheese, and sour cream, if desired.
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