Reno Red
Submitted by dixie01
Reno Red competition-style chili with coarse-ground beef, dried red chiles, cumin, oregano brewed in beer, and masa flour. No beans, all meat, pure heat.
YIELD
12 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
1 hrsREADY
1 hrsThis is competition chili built the old-school way: all meat, no beans, and layers of chile flavor stacked from the ground up. Six pounds of coarse-ground beef (a mix of lean and chuck) gives you the meaty texture that separates serious chili from sloppy-joe filling.
The chile game here is aggressive in the best way. Ground dried red chiles, crushed chile caribe, diced green chiles, and hot sauce all play different roles. The dried chiles bring earthy depth, the caribe brings texture and slow burn, and the green chiles add a bright, vegetal heat.
Then there’s the oregano trick: brewing dried oregano in warm beer like tea, straining it, and adding just the liquid. This extracts the herbal oils without leaving gritty leaf bits in the chili. Masa flour stirred in during the last 30 minutes thickens the sauce into that glossy, spoon-coating consistency competition judges look for.
Pro Tips
- Use coarse-ground beef, not fine. The bigger grind holds up to the long simmer and gives the chili a chunkier, more satisfying bite
- Stir often, especially in the last hour. The masa flour can stick and scorch on the bottom
- The vinegar isn’t optional. That splash of acid brightens the whole pot and keeps the chile flavor from tasting flat
- Make this a day ahead. Chili always tastes better after the flavors have had time to meld overnight
Variations
- Add a bottle of dark beer to the pot along with the broth for a richer, maltier base
- Swap half the ground beef for cubed chuck roast for a chunkier, stew-like texture
- Dial back the chiles by half for a milder version that still has complexity
Ingredients
Directions
Melt the suet or heat the cooking oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the meat and the black pepper to taste, to the pot. Break up any lumps with a fork and cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is evenly browned.
Stir in the ground chile, cumin, garlic, and onions. Add a small amount of water to barely cover. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 to 45 minutes, adding water as necessary.
Stir the crushed red chiles into the meat mixture. Brew the oregano like tea in ½ cup warm beer (room temperate). Strain the oregano-beer “tea” and stir the liquid into the pot. Discard the oregano. Stir in the paprika, vinegar, 2 cups of beef broth, diced chiles, tomatoes, and hot pepper sauce. Simmer, uncovered, for 30 to 45 minutes longer. Stir often.
Dissolve the masa flour in the remaining 1 cup of broth. Stir it into the pot and simmer, uncovered, ½ hour longer.
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