Tag Archives: poblano

Classic Beef Chili

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There are endless variations of chili, and here’s one of the classics. It uses lean ground chuck, but you can always substitute ground turkey if you stay away from red meat. Fresh poblanos, toasty ancho chile powder, oregano and beer are just some of the ingredients that come together to make a flavorful bowl of chili for any occasion.

When it comes to making chili, it’s important to build flavor even before you add spicy heat. Toasting the ground cumin and ancho chile powder in oil as they cook with the beef brings out their earthy flavors, adding savory undertones to the mix when combined with the fresh poblano, thyme, and oregano. Using canned beans makes this recipe especially convenient; be sure to rinse and drain the beans before adding them to the pot.

Serving to a crowd? Go ahead and set up a buffet of toppings. Serve alongside tortilla chips, cornbread, and bowls of toppings like shredded cheddar, slices of fresh jalapeño and radishes, chopped scallions, and sour cream. This way, each person can pick and choose their garnishes and personalize their perfect bowl of beef chili.

And as is the case with many soups, stews and chilis, they provide a more pronounced marriage of flavors when reheated the second time around.

The original recipe indicated it took 55 minutes total from prep through eating. With two of us prepping, it took nearly 40 minutes, so you may want to rethink the total time…

Classic Beef Chili

  • Servings: 8
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 2 cups chopped yellow onion (from 1 large onion)
  • 1 cup chopped poblano chile (from 1 chile). We used 3 poblanos.
  • 8 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 lbs. 90/10 lean ground chuck
  • 1 6-oz. can tomato paste
  • 1/3 cup ancho chile powder
  • 2 Tbsp. ground cumin
  • 1 Tbsp. kosher salt
  • 1 tsp. black pepper
  • 1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 tsp. chopped fresh oregano
  • 2 15-oz. cans dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 15-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
  • 2 cups lower-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 12-oz. bottle of beer
  • Shredded cheddar cheese, for serving
  • Sliced or pickled  jalapeños, for serving

Directions

  1. Gather the ingredients.
  2. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high. Add onion, poblano, and garlic and cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes.
  3. Add ground chuck and cook, stirring occasionally, until beef crumbles and is no longer pink, 8 to 10 minutes.
  4. Drain beef mixture well and return to Dutch oven over medium-high.
  5. Add tomato paste, ancho chile powder, cumin, salt, pepper, thyme, and oregano, and cook, stirring often, 2 minutes.
  6. Increase heat to high. Stir in beans, tomatoes, chicken broth, and beer, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until heated through, at least 30 minutes. It can simmer for 60-90 minutes.
  7. Serve chili with desired toppings.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Adapted from a recipe by Robby Melvin for Food & Wine

Chili-Rubbed Rib-Eye Steak with Corn & Green Chile Ragoût

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Who doesn’t love a fabulous grilled rib-eye? These spice-rubbed steaks get a nice kick from a poblano pepper. Poblanos vary a lot in spiciness, so taste yours before you add it to the pan and hold back a bit if it’s too hot. If you want more heat, add a minced jalapeño along with the poblano.

With company for dinner, we needed four steaks and just happened to have two boneless, and two bone-in which were thinner than the boneless cuts, so the cooking times varied slightly for each thickness. Choose your weapon, but try to keep all rib-eyes a minimum of 1-inch thick. And yes, we did double the corn ragoût also.

Twenty-four hours before dinner prep, we dry-brined the steaks with the spice rub, placed them on a rack in a rimmed baking sheet, and left them uncovered overnight in the refrigerator. A hour before grilling, let them sit a room temperature.

For a timer-saver on dinner night, make the corn ragoût the day prior, up to the point of reducing the cream. Once it is cooled, store the corn mixture in the fridge until ready to use, microwave until hot, then stir in the chopped sun-dried tomatoes and lime juice.

NOTE: If you don’t have a grill you can also pan-sear these steaks: Before making the corn ragoût, heat the 2 tsp. of oil in a 10-inch cast-iron  or heavy-duty skillet over high heat until very hot. Add the steaks, reduce the heat to medium high, and cook until they are well browned and done to your liking, about 3 min. per side for medium rare. Transfer to a plate and cover loosely to keep warm while you make the ragoût in the same pan. You could also use New York strip or skirt steaks, though cooking time will vary.

Chili-Rubbed Rib-Eye Steak with Corn & Green Chile Ragoût

  • Servings: 2
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 1 tsp. chili powder
  • 1 tsp. ground coriander
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt; more to taste
  • Two 8-oz. boneless beef rib-eye steaks (about 3/4 inch thick)
  • 2 tsp. canola or other vegetable oil
  • 1 small poblano or other mildly hot fresh chile (Anaheim or Italian frying pepper), seeded and cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 1/2 cup)
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 generous cup fresh corn kernels (from 2 medium ears)
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 Tbs. minced oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes (from 2 medium tomato halves)
  • 1 Tbs. fresh lime juice

Directions

  1. In a small bowl, mix the chili powder, coriander, and salt. Rub the mixture on the steaks.
  2. Place steaks on a rack in a rimmed baking sheet, and refrigerate uncovered overnight for up to 24 hours.
  3. Remove steaks from refrigerator one hour before placing on a hot grill.
  4. Heat a gas grill to medium high or prepare a medium-hot charcoal fire. Drizzle the steaks with oil and grill, turning once, until medium rare, 3 to 4 minutes per side (perhaps longer depending on thickness of steaks). Transfer to a plate and cover loosely to keep warm.  
  5. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the chile, season with salt and pepper, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until softened and starting to brown, about 2 minutes. Add the corn and continue to cook until it’s slightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes more. Add the cream and boil until it has reduced and the mixture is thick, 1 to 2 minutes. (This step can be done a day ahead. After cooled, cover and refrigerate, rewarming in microwave when ready for the next step.)
  6. Remove from the heat, stir in the sun-dried tomato, lime juice, and the accumulated juices from the steak. Taste and add more salt and black pepper, if you like. Serve the rib-eyes whole or slice them and arrange on plates. Serve immediately, with the corn ragoût on top or alongside.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Adapted from a recipe by Martha Holmberg for Fine Cooking