Recipes

Chili Colorado

Cook Time

30 min

Total Time

120 min

Servings

6-8

Chili Colorado

The Spanish word Colorado is translated into English as ‘deep red color’ which is the  perfect name for the beautiful color this dish has; it’s not named for the US state.

This one will take a little longer so it's a great weekend family dinner recipe. But it’s worth all the extra time and effort.

The chili sauce is made from authentic mexican chili peppers and to keep it traditional I use masa harina as the thickening agent. This dish comes from the Mexican town of Chihuahua so I garnish it with chihuahua cheese. If you can’t find Chihuahua cheese you can substitute with Oaxacan cheese. 

It does have spice to it so if you want to tone down the spice reduce or omit the Guajillio chilis  

Chili Colorado

The Spanish word Colorado is translated into English as ‘deep red color’ which is the  perfect name for the beautiful color this dish has; it’s not named for the US state.

This one will take a little longer so it's a great weekend family dinner recipe. But it’s worth all the extra time and effort.

The chili sauce is made from authentic mexican chili peppers and to keep it traditional I use masa harina as the thickening agent. This dish comes from the Mexican town of Chihuahua so I garnish it with chihuahua cheese. If you can’t find Chihuahua cheese you can substitute with Oaxacan cheese. 

It does have spice to it so if you want to tone down the spice reduce or omit the Guajillio chilis  

Servings

6-8

Total Time

120 min

Ingredients:


Chili Paste:

3 dried Guajillo chilis

4 dried Ancho chilis

3 dried Chile de Arbol

4 cups of beef or chicken broth (divided in half)

2 roasted tomatoes 


Chili beef stew:

1 lb lean ground beef or turkey cut into bite sized chunks 

1 medium onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbls ground Mexican cumin

2 tsp ground Mexican oregano 

1/4 tsp all spice

2 tables apple cider vinegar

3 tbls masa harina (or corn starch)

Salt and pepper to taste


Garnish

chopped fresh cilantro

Chihuahua cheese (preferable) or any shredded Mexican cheese

plain Greek yogurt


Directions:


Red chili Sauce:

Heat 2 cups of broth then submerge the chilis in the broth and cover for about 3 minutes.

Place the chilis, the roasted tomato, and the liquids from both in a food processor and blend until smooth.



Chili beef stew:

In a large pot or Dutch oven, brown the beef or turkey over medium heat in a single layer (this may be done in batches). Transfer the meat to a plate leaving any excess fat.


Add the diced onion and minced garlic to the pot and sauté for a few minutes until softened.


Add the cumin, oregano, and all spice


Add  the meat back to the pot


Stir in the remaining broth, Red chili Sauce, salt, and pepper.


Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for about 1.5 hours, stirring occasionally. 

Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. 

Set aside 1/4 cup of the liquid to use in the masa marina slurry



At this point you can add the pot to the oven at 350 degrees for 1.5 hours until the beef is tender Or you can add it to a slow cooker and cook on low 7-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours.


After The Beef Is Tender make a Masa Harina Slurry: 


In a small bowl, mix the masa harina with 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid (beef juices) until the mixture is smooth. 


Stir the masa harina slurry mixture and the vinegar into the beef stew and simmer on the stove top for 5 minutes. (If using a slow cooker, set the crockpot to high and simmer for 10 - 15 minutes).


Check for seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed. Serve.


Garnish with

Chopped fresh cilantro

Chihuahua cheese

Dollop of plain yogurt.


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