CHILI (MEAT & VEGETARIAN)
Here’s how to make a great chili con carne from scratch, as well as the world’s best vegetarian chili that is proudly full of vegetables.
Special Equipment List
Dutch oven
High-powered blender (to make chili paste)
Shopping List
For the chili con carne:
2 pasilla chiles (dried whole)
4 arbol chiles (dried whole)
4 chipotle chiles (dried whole)
3 guajillo chiles (dried whole)
3 ancho chiles (dried whole)
1 whole chuck roast
Vegetable oil
1 white onion, roughly chopped
6 cloves garlic, crushed
4 cups chicken stock
Cinnamon
Ground allspice
Ground coriander
Dried oregano
2-3 Tbsp tomato paste
2-3 Tbsp masa harina
2 limes, juiced
Shredded cheese, for garnish
For Homemade Vegetable Stock
1 white onion
4 ribs celery
1 bulb fennel
1 parsnip, peeled
3 carrots
1 leek
1 small head cauliflower
2 beets
Vegetable oil
Sprigs of fresh thyme
Small head of garlic, halved
1 bunch parsley
2 dried bay leaves
1 Tbsp whole black peppercorns
1 handful dried porcini mushrooms
2 sheets dried kombu
For Vegetarian Chili
2 pasilla chiles (dried whole)
4 arbol chiles (dried whole)
4 chipotle chiles (dried whole)
3 guajillo chiles (dried whole)
3 ancho chiles (dried whole)
2 dried porcini mushrooms
3 poblano peppers
3 jalapeno peppers
2 large onions, roughly chopped
Olive oil
6-7 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
2-3 Tbsp tomato paste
3 tsp cumin
Ground coriander
Dried oregano
1 can cannelini beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can pinto beans
14oz can diced tomatoes
14oz can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1 tsp liquid aminos
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
3 cups vegetable stock (ingredients above)
Sour cream and sliced jalapenos, for garnish
Method
Chili Con Carne
1. Remove the stems and seeds from all dried chiles. Tear each chile into small pieces.
2. Dry roast the chiles by placing them in a large stainless steel skillet with no oil. Toast over medium-high heat for 3-5 minutes, until they are fragrant but not smoking.
3. Lower the heat and rehydrate the chiles by adding water – just enough water to cover them.
4. Bring to a simmer and cover. Then turn off the heat and let steep for 10 minutes.
5. Add the chiles and their soaking liquid to a high-powered blender. Blend on high speed for about one minute, until nice and smooth. This makes your amazing chili paste base.
6. Break down your chuck roast by trimming off any silver skin or excess fat. Cut into ½-inch bite-sized cubes.
7. Pat the pieces of meat dry with Bounty paper towels. Generously salt the meat with kosher salt. Let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before blotting dry again with Bounty paper towels.
8. Heat a few tablespoons of vegetable oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat, until it just starts to give off wisps of smoke.
9. Add half of the cubed meat to the dutch oven, turning to brown on all sides. Once browned, remove from pan and set aside. You do not need to brown the rest of the meat.
10. Add chopped onion to the pot. Cook over medium heat until soft and golden. Add 6 cloves of crushed garlic. Sauté with the onions until fragrant, about one minute.
11. Deglaze the pot with 4 cups of chicken stock. Scrape up the fond from the bottom of the pot to make sure everything is incorporated.
12. Add all meat to the pot, followed by 1 ½ cups of homemade chili paste.
13. Bring the pot to a simmer. Add cinnamon, allspice, ground coriander, and oregano to taste. Add a few tablespoons of tomato paste (optional).
14. Partially cover the pot and simmer until the beef is tender and the soup has thickened, anywhere from 1 ½-3 hours.
15. Once the beef is tender, add 2-3 tablespoons of masa harina to thicken the chili. Also add the juice of 2 limes. Stir and let cook for 5 more minutes.
16. Serve with shredded cheese and lime wedges, or any garnishes you like!
Homemade Vegetable Stock & Vegetarian Chili
1. To make homemade vegetable stock, thinly slice all vegetables using a mandoline. Put all of the vegetable slices in a large bowl and drizzle with vegetable oil. Stir to make sure every piece is evenly coated with oil.
2. Preheat your oven to 375ºF. Spread vegetable slices out evenly onto 2 large rimmed baking sheets. Roast for anywhere from 30 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from the oven and toss every 15 minutes so that nothing burns.
3. Add the roasted vegetables to a large dutch oven or stockpot. Add thyme, garlic, parsley, bay leaves, and peppercorns.
4. Cover with cold water and bring to a simmer. Also add umami boosters now, like dried porcini mushrooms and kombu.
5. Let simmer for 45 minutes-1 hour, and then strain. Now you have homemade vegetable stock!
6. Remove the stems and seeds from all dried chiles. Tear each chile into small pieces.
7. Dry roast the chiles by placing them in a large stainless steel skillet with no oil. Toast over medium-high heat for 3-5 minutes, until they are fragrant but not smoking.
8. Lower the heat and rehydrate the chiles by covering them with water – just enough water to cover them.
9. Bring to a simmer and cover. Then turn off the heat and let steep for 10 minutes.
10. Add the chiles and their soaking liquid to a high-powered blender. Also add a few dried porcini mushrooms. Blend on high speed for about one minute, until nice and smooth. This makes your amazing chili paste base.
11. Fire roast your poblanos by placing them directly over a flame. The goal is to completely char the skin of the peppers, so keep turning them until every side is sufficiently blackened.
12. Remove peppers from the heat and wrap in aluminum foil. Let them sit for at least 10 minutes.
13. Prepare the jalapenos by cutting them in half and removing the seeds and ribs. Then finely dice them. Set aside.
14. Remove the charred skin from the steamed poblano peppers using Bounty paper towels. Then, chop the peppers into bite-sized pieces.
15. Heat olive oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add roughly chopped onions and cook until softened.
16. Add crushed garlic and cook until fragrant, about one minute.
17. Next, add chopped jalapeno and poblano peppers along with 2-3 tablespoons of tomato paste. Stir to combine for a few minutes.
18. Add the spices: cumin, ground coriander, and dried oregano.
19. Next, add all of the beans and diced tomatoes.
20. Add 3 cups of homemade vegetable stock, or enough to make the chili a little waterier than you’d like it to be.
21. Add 1-1 ½ cups of homemade chili paste. Stir to combine. Let simmer for 45-60 minutes.
22. Add the final umami boosters: liquid aminos and nutritional yeast. Stir to combine.
23. Serve with your favorite garnishes like sour cream and sliced jalapenos.