Chile Con Carne

Shared by The Pantry Seattle

Recipe adapted from: Brandi Henderson

Yield: about 3 quarts

Ingredients

5 tablespoons ancho chili powder

2 tablespoons dried oregano

1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne

2 pounds ground beef, or 3 pounds beef chuck, sliced into 1” pieces

Kosher salt

2 tablespoons high-heat oil

2 medium onions, diced

6 cloves garlic, minced

2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, with juice (whole tomatoes roughly chopped with kitchen scissors)

4 1/2 cups water

1 tablespoon of brown sugar

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

3 14-ounce cans canned kidney beans, drained

Instructions

Toast the spices in a dry skillet over medium heat. Set the spices aside.

Heat the oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. In batches, cook the ground beef until well browned, draining off any excess fat after each batch. Set the ground beef aside in a large bowl.

In the same pot, with just a bit of the beef fat, add the diced onion. Sauté until they begin to soften, about 8 minutes. Add the jalapeno and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the garlic, spices, and salt and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Add the canned tomato, water, sugar, and vinegar and bring to a simmer. Lower heat and continue simmering, uncovered, until the liquid is reduced to your liking, about 1-1 1/2 hours. Add the ground beef and drained kidney beans to the soup and simmer for another 5-10 minutes until heated through.

Tastes best the next day. Garnish with your choice of toppings: sour cream, cilantro, hot sauce, tortilla strips, or green onions.