Serves 4
Sirloin steak tips are also sold as flap meat. When stirring the butter and pepper into the ground meat and shaping the patties, take care not to overwork the meat or the burgers will become dense.
- Table salt and ground black pepper
- vegetable oil
Serves 6 to 8
A 4-pound chuck-eye roast, well trimmed of fat, can be substituted for the steak. Because much of the chili flavor is held in the fat of this dish, refrain from skimming fat from the surface. Wear gloves when working with both dried and fresh chiles. Dried New Mexican or guajillo chiles make a good substitute for the anchos; each dried árbol may be substituted with 1/8 teaspoon cayenne. If you prefer not to work with any whole dried chiles, the anchos and árbols can be replaced with 1/2 cup commercial chili powder and 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, though the texture of the chili will be slightly compromised. Good choices for condiments include diced avocado, chopped red onion, chopped cilantro leaves, lime wedges, sour cream, and shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese. The chili can be made up to 3 days in advance.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
Our goal in creating an ultimate beef chili was to determine which of the “secret ingredients” recommended by chili experts around the world were spot-on—and which were expendable. We started with the beef—most recipes call for ground beef, but we preferred meaty blade steaks, which don’t require much trimming and stayed in big chunks in our finished chili. For complex chile flavor, we traded in the commercial chile powder in favor of ground dried ancho and de árbol chiles; for a grassy heat, we added fresh jalapeños. Dried beans, brined before cooking, stayed creamy for the duration of cooking. Beer and chicken broth outperformed red wine, coffee, and beef broth as the liquid component. To balance the sweetness of our pot, light molasses beat out other offbeat ingredients (including prunes and Coca-Cola). For the right level of thickness, flour and peanut butter didn’t perform as promised; instead, a small amount of ordinary cornmeal sealed the deal, providing just the right consistency in our ultimate beef chili.
- Table salt
- cornmeal
- dried oregano
- ground cumin
- cocoa powder
- low-sodium chicken broth
- vegetable oil
- light molasses
Serves 6 to 8
If you buy a blade-end roast (sometimes called a “rib-end”), tie it into a uniform shape with kitchen twine at 1-inch intervals; this step is unnecessary with a center-cut roast. For easier carving, ask the butcher to remove the tip of the chine bone and to cut the remainder of the chine bone between the ribs. For instructions on carving the roast, see step-by-step below.
- kosher salt
- ground black pepper
Serves 4 to 6
Serve with steamed jasmine rice, if desired, although any style of white rice can be used. Don’t skip the toasted rice: It’s integral to the texture and flavor of the dish. If a fresh Thai chile is unavailable, substitute half of a serrano chile.
- sweet paprika
- cayenne pepper
- white rice
- fish sauce
- water
- sugar
- fresh cilantro leaves
Serves 4 to 6
Serve with steamed jasmine rice, if desired, although any style of white rice can be used. Don’t skip the toasted rice: It’s integral to the texture and flavor of the dish. If a fresh Thai chile is unavailable, substitute half of a serrano chile.
- sweet paprika
- cayenne pepper
- white rice
- fish sauce
- water
- sugar
- fresh cilantro leaves
Serves 4 to 6
We strongly prefer the flavor of natural pork in this recipe, but if enhanced pork (injected with a salt solution) is used, reduce the salt to 2 teaspoons (1 teaspoon per side) in step 2. For tips on “double-butterflying,” see step-by-step below.
Pairs with:
Chateau Ste. Michelle Indian Wells Chardonnay
Chardonnay is rich enough to stand up to a meal with pork and herbs.
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper
- sugar
- herbes de Provence
- vegetable oil
- dry white wine
- fresh thyme
- bay leaf
- low-sodium chicken broth
- unflavored gelatin
- chopped fresh parsley
- egg
- lean ground beef
- garlic powder
- black pepper
Serves 4 to 6
If Chinese black vinegar is unavailable, substitute 2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar and 2 teaspoons of rice vinegar. If Asian broad-bean chili paste is unavailable, substitute 2 teaspoons of Asian chili-garlic paste or Sriracha sauce. Serve with steamed white rice.
- SAUCE
- low-sodium chicken broth
- sugar
- soy sauce
- Chinese black vinegar
- toasted sesame oil
- Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
- ketchup
- fish sauce
- cornstarch
- PORK
- baking soda
- cold water
- Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
- cornstarch
- STIR-FRY
- Asian broad-bean chili paste
- vegetable oil
Serves 4 to 6
Serve with steamed jasmine rice, if desired, although any style of white rice can be used. Don’t skip the toasted rice: It’s integral to the texture and flavor of the dish. If a fresh Thai chile is unavailable, substitute half of a serrano chile.
- sweet paprika
- cayenne pepper
- white rice
- fish sauce
- water
- sugar
- fresh cilantro leaves
- Leg of lamb
- Butter or Ghee
- Dijon Mustard
- Thyme/Rosemary/Taragon