Beef-Chipotle Chili

Beef-Chipotle Chili

Ingredients:

Flour,  ¼ cup (1½ oz/45 g) Salt and freshly ground pepper Boneless beef chuck, 3 lb (1.5 kg), trimmed of excess fat and cut into chunks Olive oil, 4-6  tablespoons (2-3 fl oz/60-90 ml) Dried oregano, 1½  teaspoons Garlic, 4 cloves, minced Red onions, 2, finely chopped Beef broth, 2 cups (16  fl oz/500 ml) Chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, 1 can (7 oz/220 g)

Serves  6 - 8

1. Brown the beef

In a resealable plastic bag, combine the flour, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Add the beef chunks and shake to coat evenly with the flour mixture; reserve the excess flour mixture. In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, warm 4 tablespoons (2  fl oz/60 ml) of the  oil. Add half of the beef chunks and cook, turning as needed, until evenly browned on all sides, 10-12 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain briefly, and then transfer to the slow cooker. Repeat with the remaining beef chunks, adding the remaining 2 tablespoons oil if needed. Sprinkle the oregano over the meat.

2. Sauté the vegetables

Return the pan to medium-high heat. Add the garlic and all but about  ½ cup (2½ oz/75 g) of the  onions and  sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Sprinkle with the reserved flour mixture and sauté for about 1 minute longer. Pour in the broth and add the chipotle chiles with their sauce, breaking up the chiles coarsely with your fingers. Raise the heat to high, bring to a boil, and deglaze the pan,  stirring to scrape  up the browned bits on the pan  bottom.  Pour over the beef.

3. Cook the chili

Cover and cook on the high-heat setting for 3-4 hours or the low-heat setting for 6-8 hours. The beef should be very tender. Spoon the chili into bowls, sprinkle with the remaining ½ cup chopped onion, and serve.