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Chuckwagon Beef and Pinto Chili
Andre Lewis

Chuckwagon Beef and Pinto Chili

Big cubes of chuck and pintos make a rough-edged, spoon-standing chili without pretending to be Texas red. The beef needs a hard sear before the slow cooker takes over. Masa goes in near the end, when you can see how much thickening the pot actually needs.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 9 hours
Servings: 10
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 3 lbs boneless beef chuck cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 2 tsp kosher salt
  • 2 tbsp neutral oil
  • 1 1/2 cups diced yellow onion
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 3 tbsp ancho chile powder
  • 1 tbsp ground cumin
  • 28 oz canned fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
  • 30 oz canned pinto beans drained and rinsed
  • 2 cups low-sodium beef broth
  • 3 tbsp masa harina
  • 1/4 cup warm water

Method
 

  1. Season the chuck with 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt and blot it dry with paper towels.
  2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown the beef in 3 batches for about 5 minutes per batch, leaving space between the cubes.
  3. Cook the onion in the same skillet for 5 minutes, then stir in the garlic, ancho powder and cumin for 30 seconds.
  4. Transfer everything to a 6-quart crockpot, add the tomatoes, beans, broth and remaining salt, and cook covered on low for 7 to 8 hours until the beef is fork-tender and at least 145°F.
  5. Whisk the masa harina with the warm water, stir it into the chili, and cook uncovered on high for 30 minutes until the broth coats the beef.