Master New Mexican Chili
Submitted by lucyhazel83
Authentic New Mexican chili with cubed beef chuck, pork, mild and hot ground chilies, amber beer, and a long simmer. Serve beans on the side, Southwest-style.
YIELD
16 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
2 hrsREADY
2½ hrsThis is the real deal New Mexican chili, and it breaks the Texas rule by including pork alongside the beef, the way many Southwest cooks actually make it at home. The pork breaks down faster than the beef cubes and dissolves into the sauce, adding body and a sweetness that chuck alone can’t provide.
Ground dried chiles are the soul of the dish. Five tablespoons of mild ground chile (Hatch, Anaheim, or New Mexico) builds the deep red color and earthy flavor, while a teaspoon of hot ground chile or cayenne brings the heat without overwhelming. This is fundamentally different from chili powder, which is a spice blend. Real New Mexican chili uses pure ground chile.
Cubed beef chuck, not ground beef, is the textural signature. Slow simmering for 1½ to 2 hours breaks down the connective tissue into gelatin, giving you tender chunks that hold their shape but yield to a fork.
The beans-on-the-side rule is a New Mexico tradition. In the Southwest, beans in your chili is a fighting topic. Serve them separately along with rice, sour cream, cheese, and chips so each person builds their own bowl.
Chef Tips
- Brown the chiles briefly in the oil after the garlic. This blooms their oils and deepens flavor dramatically. Watch carefully, chiles burn fast.
- Don’t skimp on the simmer time. The chili tastes good at 1 hour and great at 2. The connective tissue needs the full time to melt.
- Skim fat off the top before serving. Long-simmered chuck releases a lot of fat that rises to the surface.
- Make a day ahead. Chili always tastes better the next day after the flavors integrate.
Variations
- Use Hatch green chile for an authentic green chili stew variant.
- Add a square of dark chocolate at the end for mole-like depth.
- Top with crumbled queso fresco and pickled jalapeños.
Ingredients
Directions
In a large flame-proof casserole or stockpot, heat the oil. Add the onions.
Cover and cook over moderate heat for 5 minutes. Uncover, increase heat to moderately high and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions begin to brown, 5 to 10 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook another 1 or 2 minutes, until fragrant. Add the chiles and cumin.
Cook, stirring, 1 minute then add the pork, mashing and stirring, until the meat browns and begins to separate. Add the beef, oregano, salt and pepper.
Increase heat to high and cook, stirring frequently, until the meat loses most of its redness, about 10 to 15 minutes.
Add the tomatoes and their liquid, the beer, beef broth and bay leaves.
Bring to a boil, partially cover and reduce heat to moderate.
Cook until the beef is very tender and the sauce is reduced to a chili-like consistency, about 1½ to 2 hours.
In a medium saucepan, heat the beans in the liquid from the cans.
Drain when hot and either add to the chili or serve on the side along with other accompaniments such as steamed rice, sour cream, grated cheddar cheese, thinly sliced scallions, onions, or chips.
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