Short Rib and Chorizo Chili

The Annual Office Chili Cook-Off

Today was the annual chili and cornbread cook-off at work.  I won first place in both, which was a bit of a surprise because I was using a new chili recipe this year.  I've won second place in chili twice in the past, so decided I needed to make some changes if I ever wanted to get a blue ribbon.  I not only made changes, I made a completely different recipe based on ideas I picked up from various Internet sites.  Here's a photo of my trophies/ribbons, followed by my chili recipe (I'll post the cornbread recipe sometime in the near future):

Terry's Award-Winning Beef Short Rib Chili

Ingredients

Black Peppercorns

2 Tablespoons Cumin Seeds

1 ½ Teaspoons Coriander Seeds

1 Star Anise

1 Tablespoon Coffee Beans

Kosher Salt

8 Pounds Beef Short Ribs, Bone-in

2 Tablespoons Peanut Oil

3 Pasilla Chile Peppers (Dried Chilacas)

2 Chile de Arbol peppers, Dried

2 Chipotle Chile Peppers (Smoke-dried Jalapenos)

1 Quart Chicken Stock

2 Anchovy Filets

2 Teaspoons Soy Sauce

2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste

1 Ounce Unsweeted Chocolate

1 Yellow Onion

2 Shallots

4 Cloves Garlic

2 Fresh Jalapenos

1 Tablespoon Dried Basil Leaves

1 Tablespoon Dried Oregano Leaves

4 Bay Leaves

1 Pound Mexican Chorizo Sausage

1 28-ounce Can Crushed Tomatoes

¼ Cup Apple Cider Vinegar

3 15-ounce Cans Black Beans (plain, without sauce)

1 Envelope Sazon Goya Seasoning

¼ Cup Vodka

4 Tablespoons Hot Sauce (Preferably Frank's RedHot)

Ground Cayenne Pepper

Grind the black peppercorns using a coffee grinder and set aside.

Combine the cumin, coriander, and star anise in a small frying pan or saute pan. Gently toast the spices over medium heat until aromas are intensified and color is slightly darkened. Do not allow the spices to smoke, or the coriander seeds to pop. Once toasted, grind the spices together in the coffee grinder and set aside.

Grind the coffee beans in the coffee grinder and set aside.

Remove the tops from the dried chiles (pasilla, arbol, chipotle), remove the seeds, and cut them into rough 1” pieces. Toast the chiles in a large, heavy pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until darkened but not burned. This will release the intense aromas of the peppers. Once toasted, place them in a small bowl and set aside.

If the short ribs are Korean-cut (i.e. flanken style), separate them between the bones using a sharp, heavy chef's knife. Trim excess fat and remove any membranes/silverskin. Sprinkle the kosher salt and freshly-ground pepper on all sides of the ribs. Heat up pot/dutch oven over a very high flame, then add two tablespoons of peanut oil to the pan. When the oil is rippling, shimmering, and smoking, add the ribs and brown them well on all sides. They probably won't all fit at the same time, so work in batches. As the ribs are removed from the pan, place them in a roasting tray or on a large platter and allow them to cool. Once all of the ribs are browned, pour off the remaining oil/rendered fat into a bowl and set aside.

Turn the heat on the pot down to medium-high and deglaze with 1 cup of the chicken broth. Use a flat spoon or sturdy spatula to scrape up the browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Reduce heat to low and simmer. Add the toasted, dried chiles to the broth and cook until they are softened and the chicken stock is reduced by half.

Pour the stock/pepper mixture into a blender or food processor. Add the anchovies, soy sauce, and tomato paste. Add the gound coffee. Add the ground cumin/coriander/star anise mixture. Chop the unsweetened chocolate and add it. Blend on high speed until completely pureed and smooth. Set aside.

Once ribs are cool enough to handle, trim meat from the bones and cut into smallish (¼ to ½-inch) pieces. Reserve the bones for use later. Add any accumulated juices from the roasting tray or platter to the pureed chiles.

Dice the onion and shallots. Mince the garlic. Trim the tops from the jalapeno peppers, remove seeds, and mince. Pour the reserved oil from browning the ribs into the pot. Add additional peanut oil if necessary to make 4 Tablespoons. Turn heat to medium. When oil is shimmering, add the onions and saute, stirring frequently, until they are softened and translucent. Add shallots, garlic, jalapenos, basil, and oregano. Continue to cook and stir until fragrant, about 1minute. Add pureed chile mixture and cook for a few more minutes, stirring frequently and scraping the bottom of the pot until the chile mixture begins to fry and leaves a coating on the bottom of the pot. Add the remaining chicken stock, chopped rib meat, rib bones, and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any brown bits. Reduce heat to the lowest possible setting and cook, with the cover slightly ajar, for 1 hour.

While chili is gently simmering, fry the chorizo sausage in a skillet or frying pan over medium-high heat until crisped and slightly browned.

Add the chorizo, crushed tomatoes, cider vinegar, beans, and Sazon Goya seasoning. Continue to cook with the cover slightly ajar until beef is tender and broth is rich and slightly thickened, about 2-4 hours. Add water if necessary to keep beans and meat mostly submerged.

Using tongs or a slotted spoon, remove and discard bay leaves and rib bones. Add vodka and hot sauce, stirring to combine. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and additional vinegar. For additional heat, add a small amount of cayenne pepper, tasting frequently and adding gradually to avoid making the chili too spicy.

Serve immediately, or for best flavor, allow to cool and refrigerate overnight.