Steak chili with beans

The secret to this chili is beef marrow bones, which give the chili amazing succulence. Cocoa powder and blackstrap molasses deepen the flavor and add a subtle sweetness.


Chili paste:

• 1 small can chipoltle in adobo
• 1 tsp cumin seed
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 T dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• shake of cayenne pepper if you like

- remove the chipotles from the can and de-seed them/wash them out, then add with the adobo sauce to the rest of the chili paste ingredients and pulse in a blender or food processor until smooth.

chillipeppers & onion:

• 1 jalapeno
• 1 serrano chili
• 1 pasilla chili
• 1 onion

- De-seed the chilis, dice small. Dice the onion and add to the chilis.

Meat:

• 1 pound beef shank with the bone - get one with a large bone with lots of marrow
• 1.5 pounds chuck steak cut into cubes
• an extra cut of beef marrow bone (like 3 in long)

^ you can get all these from Draegers meat counter

- Remove the beef shank on the bone and cube the meat. You can probably ask the butcher to do this for you if you want.

Other stuff:

• 1 large can diced tomatoes in sauce (make sure there’s no basil)
• 2 tsp blackstrap molasses
• ½ bottle of Shiner Bock
• 1.5 cups of chicken stock (I used homemade so this is approximate)
• about a tsp each cumin and coriander
• cayenne to taste
• 
  
• 1 can kidney beans
• 1 can black beans
• 1 can pinto beans

1. In a heavy dutch oven, heat up some oil and add cumin and coriander, salt and pepper. Fry the spices for about 10 seconds, then add the onion-chillipepper mixture and a pinch of kosher salt. Mix together. 
2. Sweat the onions over medium low heat until translucent, about 10 minutes.
3. Mix in about 2 tablespoons of the chili paste, cook for about a minute.
4. Add the molasses and diced tomatoes, stir in and cook about a minute.
5. Add the chicken stock, bring to a boil then turn the heat down to low and let it simmer.
6. While that is cooking, heat some oil in a skillet until the oil shimmers.
7. Working in batches, sear the meat and bones until a nice brown crust forms on all sides. Add the meat to the onion and tomato mixture in the dutch oven.
8. When all the meat and bones are added, deglaze the pan with the Shiner Bock, stirring and scraping up all the lovely burned bits stuck to the pan. Add this liquid to the onion-tomato mixture.
9. Add the beans and stir the mixture in the dutch oven well, making sure that all the meat is covered.
10. Cover and bake at 300 degrees for about 2.5 hours, until the meat falls apart.
11. Remove the marrow bones (making sure all the marrow is out), and give the chili a good stir.
12. Either serve immediately with cornbread, or make the night before for the next day. Gets better the longer it sits..