Red Meat Chili: Carne con Chili Colorado
"Carne con Chile Colorado" simply translated means "Meat with Red Chile", and it is the dried red chiles that give the sauce its deep red color and bite. The word Colorado in the name refers to the deep red color that Chile Colorado has - "Colorado" comes from the Spanish words “color rojo,” meaning color red.
Carne con Chile Colorado is well served as a taco, in a burrito or just served in a bowl with hot, fresh tortillas. Another way to eat Carne Chili Colorado is with a side of rice and beans.
In the picture, steamed white rice and an avocado orange salad complete the meal. See Papaya, Blood Orange, Avocado & Roasted Shallot Salad for one salad option.
Carne Chili Colorado
This is a recipe I came up with after not being completely satisfied, for one reason or another, with any I found. The beef was very flavorful, but being used to eating chili with beans in a bowl like a soup, I would not call this chili. It was more like a meat to be eaten in a taco. We ate it with rice and beans the first night, and was not thrilled. Although the flavor was really good, it needed something fresh. We also tried it in tacos with fresh vegetables, cheese, and salsa. I liked it much better. We made Salsa Verde from fresh tomatillos which went well with the rest of the ingredients in the tacos. A nice pop of heat.
4 gaujillo chiles
3 pasilla chiles
1 ancho chile
2 Tbsp. bacon fat, cut into cubes about 1 1/2 inches square
2 pounds beef brisket or beef chuck roast
Salt and pepper
1 medium yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 quart chicken stock (or 1 can of beer and 2 cups chicken broth)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed (optional)
For serving:
Warm corn or flour tortillas
Chopped onion
Chopped fresh cilantro
Shredded Monterey Jack, Muenster, or Asadero cheese
Heat a cast iron frying pan over medium/high heat and roast the dried chiles for 2-3 minutes. Turn them often to avoid burning them. Cover the chiles in hot water and let them soak for about 30 minutes. Place the chiles in a blender with the soaking liquid and puree until smooth.
Salt and pepper the beef. In the cast iron frying pan, heat the bacon fat and brown the beef cubes. (You may have to brown the meat in batches.) Transfer browned beef to a dutch oven or other bakeware with a cover.
In the same cast iron frying pan, fry the onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
Pour in the tomatoes, broth, and chile puree, then stir in the cumin, coriander, and oregano. Turn the heat up to high. Bring to a boil and pour over the beef and onion in the dutch oven. Place the cover on the dutch oven.
Put in pre-heated 325 degree F. oven. Cook the stew for 2 to 2 1/2 hours or until the beef is fork tender (brisket may take longer). You may need to add water if the liquid evaporates. Taste and adjust seasonings.
If using, add the potatoes 45 minutes before the meat is done and cook until the potatoes are tender.
Red Meat Chili: Carne Chili Colorado
Recipe courtesy Aaron Sanchez
3 white onions, quartered
8 tomatillos, peeled and washed
4 tomatoes, quartered
8 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 pound ancho chiles, stemmed, seeded, and de-veined
1/2 pound gaujillo chiles, stemmed, seeded, and de-veined
1 quart chicken stock
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon ground mustard seed
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 (1 1/2 to 2 pound) flank steak or brisket
2 cups water
12 tortillas
Shredded Monterey jack
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
On a sheet tray or baking pan, place onion, tomatillos, tomatoes, and garlic and drizzle with olive oil. Place under the broiler or roast in a preheated 500 degree F oven until the vegetables start to get a little charred on the outside. Remove and set aside. On another sheet tray or baking pan, place the dried chiles, and toast in a 500 degree F oven for 1 minute or until the chiles start to release some smoke. Remove and plunge in to bowl with hot water and set aside.
In a blender, begin pureeing the chiles and roasted vegetables in batches with chicken stock until smooth. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
In a saute pan, toast the cumin, coriander, and mustard for 3 minutes or until they start to smoke. Remove from pan and place in a small mixing bowl. Add the olive oil, salt, and pepper, to make a paste. Rub this paste all over the piece of flank steak and allow to marinate for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Preheat a grill or grill pan on high.
Grill the flank steak for 3 minutes on each side. Place the flank steak in a roasting pan and pour the pureed chile sauce over it. Add 2 cups of water, cover with foil, and cook in the oven for 1 hour until the meat becomes flaky. [Brisket will take longer. Check for water as it cooks; add more if needed.]
Remove the meat from the pan, shred the meat, and reserve the sauce. Place 6 of the tortillas onto a baking sheet. Put a small amount of the shredded meat on the tortilla and spoon over some of the sauce. Top with some cheese. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Bake for 5 minutes and serve.
