Recipe: WesBurger n’ More Chili con Carne (2024)

WesBurger n’ More Chili con Carne

Serves 6 to 8

6 dried ancho chiles

5 dried guajillo chiles

4 dried árbol chiles

3 dried pasilla chiles

5 dried chipotle chiles

¼ pound bacon, cut crosswise into ½-inch pieces

4 pounds beef chuck, cut into ½-inch cubes

1 large yellow onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground cloves

½ teaspoon ground allspice

Kosher salt

2 cups water

1 cup strong brewed coffee

1 ounce Ibarra Mexican chocolate (about 1/3 of a tablet)

1 12-ounce bottle Lone Star or Tecate beer

¼ cup dry masa harina (Maseca)

Shredded cheddar cheese, for serving

Sliced green onions, for serving

Mexican crema or sour cream, for serving

Fritos corn chips, for serving (optional)

To make the chili: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Stem and seed the ancho, guajillo, árbol and pasilla chiles and place on a rimmed baking sheet with the chipotle chiles (the chipotles are difficult to seed, so those can be left whole).

Transfer to the oven and bake until brittle, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and grind in a food processor to a fine powder. Sift through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl; reserve any seeds that the sifter catches. (They can be used anywhere you might use red pepper flakes and are especially delicious on pizza.)

Rowe likes to use a mixture of chiles for his chili powder. The ancho and guajillo chilies provide fruity, sweet spice; the chipotles bring smokiness; and the árbols add a jolt of heat. If you can’t find this exact mix of chiles, don’t despair; just try to find a diverse blend of chiles with different flavor profiles.

In a large Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium-high heat until crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.

“You usually start making chili early in the morning,” says Rowe, “so I use that bacon to make breakfast tacos.” The bacon fat is all that’s needed for this recipe — if you have some left over from another cooking project, you can use that instead of cooking bacon. You’ll need ¼ cup of bacon fat. Otherwise, the crispy bacon is a wonderful byproduct and cook’s snack.

Working in batches, sear the beef in the bacon fat until browned on all sides, then transfer to a bowl. Repeat with remaining beef. When all the beef has been cooked, reduce the heat to medium and add the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft but not browned, about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook 2 minutes more, then add 1/3 cup of the chile powder (reserve the rest for another use), along with the cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cloves, allspice and a generous pinch of salt.

Pour in the water and coffee, bring to a boil then reduce so the liquid is simmering; cook, uncovered, for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Grate the tablet of chocolate into the chili, stir and taste for seasoning, adding more chile powder, cumin or salt to taste. Continue simmering until the meat is tender but not mushy, about 30 minutes longer.

To test if the meat is done, Rowe removes a piece from the pot and squeezes it between his thumb and forefinger. It’s done when it collapses slightly under pressure but doesn’t fall apart into shreds.

Open the beer and pour ½ cup into a bowl. Whisk in the masa harina until the mixture is a smooth paste.

“There’s no choice,” says Rowe, “but to drink the rest of the beer.”

Stir the paste into the chili and simmer 30 minutes more until the chunks of meat are coated in a dark, glossy, sauce. If the chili looks too thick, thin with a little more beer or water. Season to taste with additional salt.

Serve hot, accompanied by shredded cheese, sliced scallions and crema. The chili can be made up to three days in advance; once cool, cover and store in the refrigerator. Reheat gently over low heat. The chili can also be frozen for up to a month. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator then reheat as directed above.