Beverly, Isn't it the best! I can't wait for you to make it with the Ancho. I'm glad you enjoyed :-) Thanks for posting and letting us know how much you enjoyed it. I was hoping it wasn't just DH and I that declared it the best chili ever. DH has made it twice in 3 weeks.

Beef Chili with Ancho, Mole, and Cumin

8 servings.

Chili:
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
4 bacon slices, chopped
1 4-pound boneless chuck roast, trimmed, cut into ½- to ¾-inch cubes
1 large onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
4 (or more) large garlic cloves, chopped
3½ cups (or more) beef broth, divided
¼ cup pure ancho chili powder
¼ cup Texas-style chili powder blend (such as Gebhardt)
1 tablespoon mole paste
2 teaspoons (or more) salt
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1½ teaspoons dried oregano, crumbled
1 to 2 tablespoons masa (corn tortilla mix)
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

Garnishes:
Warm, freshly cooked or drained canned black beans
Chopped white, red, and/or green onions
Grated cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, or queso fresco
Sliced fresh or pickled jalapeño chiles
Sour cream
Tortilla chips or oyster crackers

Toast cumin seeds in heavy small skillet over medium heat until fragrant, stirring often, 4 to 5 minutes. Cool; grind finely in spice mill or in mortar with pestle.

Sauté bacon in large pot over medium-high heat until brown and crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to large bowl.

Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper. Working in 4 batches, sauté beef in drippings in pot until browned, about 5 minutes per batch. Transfer beef and most drippings to bowl with bacon.

Add onion and garlic to pot. Sauté until onion begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Add ½ cup broth to pot. Bring to a boil, scraping up browned bits. Return beef, bacon, and any accumulated juices to pot. Mix in ancho chili powder, Texas-style chili powder, mole paste, 2 teaspoons salt, vinegar, oregano, and cumin seeds. Add 3 cups broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to very low and simmer gently uncovered until beef is very tender, stirring occasionally and adding more broth by ½ cupfuls if chili is dry, about 2½ hours or more. Mix in masa by teaspoonfuls to thicken chili or add more broth by ¼ cupfuls to thin. Season chili with salt, pepper, and cayenne, if desired. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Cool 1 hour. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep chilled. Rewarm over low heat.)

Set out garnishes as desired. Ladle chili into bowls and serve.

 Bon Appétit, February 2009

Dumb question, but what is mole paste and what section of the grocery store would it be in?
also did you use cumin seed? I've got powder, but no seed!

Grace

Karen, DH didn't enjoy his job of cutting up the roast. ; )

Grace, Mole is in the ethnic (Mexican) section of the grocery store. I did use cumin seed, but if you can't find it then use powder. It probably won't make a huge difference. It's just that fresh ground seed tastes better.

Beverly

Wow - that recipe does look good - and it's got 2 expert backers and I love chili so I'll try this soon!

Well I'm going to give it a try too. I have been making Caribbean Chili (ingredients like lamb, honey, beer, black beans) for a long time and we like it; but change is good and this sounds like just the right change.

Thanks

I have a pot of it on the stove going now! I thought Trader Joe's had Mole. The guy said they don't carry it any more. Three supermarkets later I ended up making my own from a quick recipe I found online. The chili smells so good. Thanks, Karen for the recipe and the raves, and Beverly for the raves that pushed me to make it! Can't wait til later. I usually make it from a mix with ground beef and beans. This looks to be a great change!

No beans in this chili?

I put pinto beans in it, Peppi, my family loves chili with beans!

This was THE best chili we've had. Loved it! Thanks again for the recipe. Definitely a keeper!

Peppi, it does call for black beans, just as a garnish. As for myself, I don't like beans in my chili and think it would ruin the taste of this chili to put the beans inside. Just my opinion.

Whoa! I've not been around but it looks like Bev and I started a new crase! Really guys, this is the best chili I've had in a while. I know you all will enjoy!

We just happened to have the cumin seeds and pan fried them a bit before adding them to the chili. Mucho Good!

I'm not a bean loving person when it comes to my chili. but we did add the black beans as a garnish, along side sour cream, cilantro and red onion. YUMMY! If we get another cold front soon I'll be making this again.

dishes, let us know how much you enjoyed this.

Peppi, I promise you with this recipe you don't need those gas causing beans.

DH didn't like cutting up the roast either ;-)

The cutting up of the roast was a pain, I made really small pieces, but it came out very tender. It was so good, I wish I had made more, seconds all around.

I couldn't find Mole sauce anywhere so I looked online and found this one to great reviews. I followed what a few reviewers said and it came out good. My notes are in parentheses.

Allrecipes Mexican Mole Sauce

2 teaspoons vegetable oil (I used olive oil)
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried cilantro (I used fresh, and chopped it)
1/8 tablespoon dried minced garlic (I used fresh and chopped it fine)
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup (I used one can of Rotel tomatoes with green chilies)
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chile peppers
(on the suggestion of one of the reviewers, I also added a handful of finely ground almonds (food processor!)

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, and cook the onion until tender. Mix in cocoa powder, cumin, cilantro, and garlic. Stir in the tomato soup and green chile peppers. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 10 minutes. (I simmered much longer, and I whizzed the whole thing in the food processor to make a smoother sauce)

So what brand chili powder are you guys using? Not that they are the end-all, but Cooks Illustrated rated Gebhardt poorly, and Penzeys (which I have) dead last.

I bought a jar of Spice Islands, which they rated the best.

Anyone know if there is any significant difference between masa for tomalies and masa for tortillas? They are next to each other at Wegmans, but they only had the former in stock.

foodonastump, I buy the dark brown chili powder at the Latin Market. It comes in a large cellophane bag. The brand name is "Cyclone" YUM!

I think all Masa is the same?

Since I couldn't find my Penzey's Ancho I used McCormick Hot Mexican-Style Chili powder and also plain McCormick Chili Powder. I'm really anxious to try the Ancho though because it has a taste all it's own.

Karen,

I tried making the chili last night. I simmered it for almost 3 hours but my chuck roast pieces didn't seem very tender. Is this adaptable to the crock pot? Did I need to cook longer? I finally had to dish it up so we could go to bed--we have good teeth so I don't mind chewing the meat up. I just wonder how tender it was supposed to get. It had a great flavor--I had hubby taste it before bedtime and he got hungry all of a sudden.

Denise, This should have been tender after cooking for three hours. Put it back on the burner with a little beef stock or broth. It's getting warm here in the South. Enjoy it while the weather is mild ;-)

I'm eating it for lunch today! It's fairly low carb and fits in my diet plan. It tastes wonderful! The meat was tender but it wasn't falling apart tender--is that how it's supposed to be?

It tasted much spicier last night when I was tasting it while cooking. Today it is milder (which I love) and has such a wonderful flavor. Thanks for the recipe!

Sounds a lot like the chili recipe I use - mine calls for both ground meat and steak cubed up that has been bbq'd just to char the outside for extra flavor. I usually use a london broil when I make it. Mine also calls for a bottle of Mexican beer, but doesn't use the vinegar or mole sauce. I forget which beans the recipe calls for, but I always use black beans in mine.

The ancho really gives it a good flavor. I've used other "hot" pepper (Ancho really doesn't have much heat) in a pinch when I'm out of Ancho, but it does give the chili a different taste using the Ancho. Smoky, but without any "hickory smoke" taste, which I don't care for.

I think I have one batch of turkey chili left in the freezer - it might be time to make the ground beef/steak recipe this time! I think I'll add mole to mine when I make it - that sounds like a great addition!

Lisa

Seeing this pop up again reminds me that I never commented on how much I liked it. Never did find (or make) mole paste, but it was great without. Thanks, Karen-via-Beverly!

Glad everyone enjoyed it. It really is my favorite chili recipe.

The chili should be tender and melt in your mouth good. I guess it all depends on the meat. Every time I've cooked it I've used chuck roast.