It's Chuck Roast Weather.
At least that's what the man at the meat counter told us.
See, we went to the market to pick up some supplies for the test kitchen and came back with the building blocks for the perfect Fall meal.
Chili.
Yes, say it with us-
Chili.
The man at the meat counter (Darren) was right. When the leaves begin to turn, when the temperature kicks back and when apples are everywhere,
It certainly is chuck roast weather.
We wanted to bring something a little different than your everyday ground beef, tomato, crock pot and not much else chili, so here's what we've got dancing together in our pot:
Braised Shredded Chuck Roast (no more ground beef here, this is as beefy as it can get)
Chipotle Chilies (to kick that dried chili powder taste)
and
Pomegranate Juice.
What?
Yes.
Pomegranate Juice.
See, we wanted to bring in something with character that would round out the heat and bring some sweetness to the mix.
Pomegranate juice does it for us. Sweet, fruity, tart, it blends perfectly with the spices and tomatoes in our recipe. So don't leave it out, ok?
Promise?
Alright, we'll give you another option (because we're in a giving mood)
You can replace the pomegranate juice with 3/4 cup of gluten free beer, this will add the same tartness and tang to the base for the chili.
See, options, that's what we're all about.
Looking for a great side dish? Try our Gluten Free Cornbread!
Braised Chipotle Chili
Gluten Free, Dairy Free, No Processed Sugar, Soy Free, Corn Free
Adapted from Tyler Florence
- 3 pounds Chuck Roast, cut into 2 inch cubes
- 3-4 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 2 yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon Ground Spicy Paprika
- 1 tablespoon Ground Coriander
- 1 tablespoon Ground Cumin
- 1 tablespoon Fennel Powder
- 1 head Garlic (about 10 cloves), chopped
- 3 Chipotle Peppers in Adobo
- 3 tablespoons Tomato Paste
- 3/4 cup Pomegranate Juice (or Gluten Free Beer)
- 1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 can Whole Tomatoes (28 oz.)
- 1 can Black Beans (15 oz.)
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Get Busy
- Season the beef with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch Oven, or another heavy bottomed stock pot, heat a few tablespoons of olive oil until it is almost smoking.
- Working in batches, brown the meat making sure to let it get nice and crusty. Don't worry about the stuff that sticks to the bottom, this means more flavor later!
- When all the beef is browned, take it out of the pot and set it aside. Toss in the sliced onions and if needed, a little more olive oil. Saute the onions until they are dark and caramelized, about 30-40 minutes.
- Add all the spices and chopped garlic to the onions. Let the spices, garlic and onion mingle and get to know each other, give them all time to develop some flavor (saute them together for about 5-7 minutes).
- Add the chipotle peppers and tomato paste and saute another five minutes, or until the tomato paste becomes very dark and flavorful.
- Stir the pomegranate juice and balsamic vinegar into the pot, deglazing the brown bits on the bottom. Cook the liquids with the garlic/onion/spice mixture for a few minutes.
- Add the whole tomatoes, the browned beef cubes and stir everything to combine. The liquid should just about cover the meat, if it doesn't, no worries, just pout in some water or a little more pomegranate juice to cover.
- Bring everything to a low boil, then drop the heat to low and simmer with the lid on for at least 4 hours (we've let it go 5 1/2, it only gets better). When the meat starts to fall apart you know you're close!
- Add the beans after three or four hours of simmering to keep them from disintegrating.
- If the beef hasn't fallen apart, you can help shred it with a fork.
Prep. Time: 1 hour
Cooking Time: 4-6 hours
Yield: 6-8 servings
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