Warm up with this brisket chili, stewed with hot peppers and spices

About the recipe

While this recipe has a longer cook time than a chili made from ground beef, your patience will be rewarded with an intensely beefy stew with a flavorful kick from rehydrated dried chiles.

Briskets are typically divided into two parts: the leaner flat cut and the fattier point cut. Because we don’t want to spend hours skimming off rendered fat, we prefer to use the flat cut in this recipe.

Serves: 10 to 12

Hands On Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 5 hours

Ingredients

4 dried ancho chiles, seeds and stem removed

4 dried guajillo chiles, seeds and stem removed

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 (4- to 5-pound) brisket flat, cut into 2-inch pieces (see note)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 yellow onion, diced

2 poblano peppers, seeded and diced

6 cloves garlic, minced

4 chipotle peppers in adobo, finely chopped

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 (12-ounce) bottle lager-style beer

1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes in juice

2 to 3 cups chicken broth

Shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, for serving

Sliced scallions, for serving

Sour cream, for serving

Instructions

Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Bring a small saucepan of water to a simmer over medium-high heat.

In a medium bowl, cover the chiles with the hot water. Let sit until the chiles have softened and the anchos have turned to a rust-like color, about 30 minutes. When the chiles are soft, transfer to a blender with some of the soaking liquid and pureé until smooth and pourable, adding more water, as necessary.  

Meanwhile, heat the vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Liberally season the brisket with salt and pepper and sear, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown on all sides, about 10 minutes.

Add the onion and poblanos and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are soft and translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and chipotles and cook, stirring, until beginning to soften, 1 minute. Add the chili powder, cumin, oregano and coriander and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add the beer and bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Stir in the pureéd chiles and tomatoes and return to a simmer. Add chicken broth, if needed, to bring the liquid level up to the top of the brisket. Cover the pot, transfer to the oven and cook, stirring every 30 minutes, until the brisket is fork-tender, about 3 hours. While the chili is cooking, add more broth, if needed, to loosen.

Remove the pot from the oven and skim off any fat on the surface. Scrape any browned bits from the sides of the pot and stir into the chili. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and let cool for 30 minutes. Serve, garnished as desired with shredded cheese, sliced green onions and sour cream.