Steak Chili

There was a restaurant in Blacksburg we loved that had the best steak chili- it was thick and hearty, smoky and a little bit spicy.  Really we loved everything there, but I decided I wanted to re-create the chili at home.  Last year for Nick's birthday, I made a big pot of steak chili and we took it to the New River for a picnic dinner- such a fun memory!

I could seriously make and eat soup every day of the year, but Nick much prefers to wait for cooler weather.  With fall officially here, Nick agreed that it is finally soup season!  Although it's not quite cool here, we still really enjoyed this chili (even if we did have to eat it with our air conditioning still on- ha!)

Steak Chili 
based on this recipe from Chef Lance Torro

for the steak-
2 lbs beef of your choice- I used stew beef already cut in pieces
flour, salt and pepper to coat the beef
about a cup of red wine or beer

Pat beef dry with paper towels.  Season with salt and pepper and dredge in flour.  Heat a dutch oven over medium high heat with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.  Brown meat in pan working in batches if necessary.  Once all the meat is browned, add just enough beer or wine to cover the bottom of the pan.  Reduce heat to medium low.  Stir, scrapping any brown bits on the bottom of the pan.  Stir occasionally, adding more beer/ wine when needed.  The meat will absorb the liquid.  Keep doing this for about an hour or so.  The beef will become really tender and able to be shredded.  Can be done ahead of time.  Once tender, shred the beef using forks or your fingers.

for the chili
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow onion diced
1/2 green bell pepper diced
1/2 red bell pepper diced
1 chipotle chili in adobo sauce, minced*
3 cloves garlic minced
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2-4 cups beef stock
6 ounces tomato paste
2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
juice of 1/2 a lime
salt to taste

* These are smoked jalapenos found in a can in the mexican food section of the grocery store.  They are really smokey and spicy and add great flavor.  You can freeze what you don't use in a plastic bag.  I find one to be the perfect amount, but feel free to add more or less depending on the amount of spice you like

Toppings- whatever sounds good to you! We love-
sour cream
shredded cheese
cilantro
tortilla chips

In a large pot (use the same pot you cooked the beef to get all the flavor) heat oil.  Saute onion, peppers and garlic until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add chili pepper and spices and continue to cook for about 5 more minutes.  Add in tomato paste, stock (start with 2 cups), beans and tomatoes and shredded beef.  Reduce to a simmer.  Let simmer, stirring occasionally at least 30-45 minutes but it just gets better the longer you let it simmer. We like this chili pretty thick, but if you like yours thinner add more stock.  Stir in cilantro, lime juice and taste for seasonings adding salt or whatever you think it needs.  Turn off the heat and let sit for about 15 minutes before serving.  Top with any toppings that sound good to you!  Enjoy!  It gets even better the second day.