Chiarello Chocolate Chili Con Carne – Cooking with Johnny G

As I mentioned in the latest Therapy Thursday: There’s a Man in the House, my brother has moved in with my daughter and me, while he searches for a job. What I love about my brother is that he has such the foodie, not that I am not but he truly he is. He actually knows most of the chefs on the Food Network and the Cooking Channel. What am I talking about, he actually watches those shows.

When my brother arrived along with his clothes, he came with a bag of spices and a chopper. Who knew, right?

So my brother being the typical guy is dedicated to watching football so what better time to cook up a great meal.

Today’s meal is Chiarello Chocolate Chili Con Carne ( courtesy of Michael Chiarello from the Food Network) served with cornbread.

I must admit that when he told me the ingredients two of the ingredients I had to do a double take since I had no idea where he was going to buy them. The first one was Masa Harina (Mexican flour) and lard. Good Lord, who cooks with lard in New York City. But lo and behold, he found both. Now, of course, I am thinking what the heck are we going to do with all that lard.

So the question you are asking is how was it and did my daughter eat. The chili was amazing, just yummy but we both thought that cooking in slow cooker would have really enhanced the taste and that it really would taste better the next day. And it did taste so much better the next day. My daughter tried and did not dislike it but was more into the beef. So hey I will take it.

Enjoy.

Chiarello Chocolate Chili Con Carne Recipe

Ingredients

3 pounds beef chuck

Freshly ground black pepper

Gray salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus 1 teaspoon

1 teaspoon ground cumin, plus 2 teaspoons

2 tablespoons chili powder, plus 2 tablespoons

Masa harina (Mexican corn flour)

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup lard (Manteca)

4 red onions, peeled and minced

6 cloves garlic, minced

4 jalapeno peppers, sliced thin with seeds, stems removed

1/4 cup tomato paste

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 to 3 (12-ounce) bottles beer

1 (12-ounce) can diced tomato in juices

1 quart chicken stock

3 (12-ounce) cans black beans

2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, cut into large chunks

Directions

Cut the chuck into ¾-inch pieces, or, to save time, have your butcher do this for you. Place the chuck in a large bowl. Season liberally with pepper (about 20 turns of the pepper grinder) and grey salt to taste– remember half of this will come off in the pan. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of the cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of the cumin, and 2 tablespoons of the chili powder. Mix this well and coat the meat with the masa harina (this is a ground hominy flour common to Mexican cuisine and easily found in the Mexican food sections of many grocery stores). The flour will thicken the sauce and give it a specific, Mexican taste.

Preheat a cast iron Dutch oven on the stove over medium high heat. Add the olive oil and then the coated meat, spreading it evenly so it covers the bottom of the Dutch oven in 1 layer. Leave it alone, without turning it, so the meat will brown and caramelize. Meanwhile, add the lard. The meat has a lot of moisture in it, so a good amount of steam will come from the pan before it is caramelized. As it browns, slowly turn each piece with tongs. Once all sides are caramelized, remove the meat from the pan with a slotted spoon and place on a cookie sheet to cool, leaving juices in the Dutch oven to saute vegetables. Add the onions and garlic and saute for 5 minutes over medium heat until they start to caramelize and get soft. Add the jalapenos and allow to cook for 2 more minutes until soft. Add the tomato paste. Some of the same spices as were used on the meat will be used in the sauce. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons of the cumin, 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon, the oregano, and 2 heaping tablespoons of the chili powder. Add beer. Stir to incorporate everything. Add diced tomatoes, and stir. Then add the reserved meat. Add chicken stock. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours until meat is wonderfully tender. Strain juice from the black beans, add the beans to the chili pot and bring up to simmer. Then add chunks of bittersweet chocolate. Stir until it melts. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.