Chili Con Carne

This recipe makes the most amazing chili con carne completely from scratch. It’s filled with tender chunks of seasoned beef chuck, veggies, zesty aromatics, and warm spices, simmered for hours until the beef is ultra-tender.

Ask any Texas chili fan, and they’ll swear that REAL chili has no beans, no tomatoes, puréed chilies, and chunks of beef instead of mince. So, I can’t claim that today’s chili con carne is authentically Texan. There are tomatoes and beans, for one. BUT, there’s also plenty of hearty beef cubes, swimming with veggies in a rich, bold-flavored gravy with jalapeño and smoky spices. It cooks for hours on the stovetop, simmering until the beef is meltingly tender and the sauce is thick and silky.

• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 2 teaspoons oregano
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 3 pounds boneless beef chuck, cut into 1-inch chunks
• Salt/Pepper, to taste
• 1/3 cup flour
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed
• 12 oz. beer
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons corn meal, optional (helps thicken)
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons hot sauce
• 4 cups beef broth
• 28 oz. crushed tomatoes
• 10 oz. diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained (Rotel)
• 2 bay leaves
• 16 oz. black beans, drained
• 1 (11-ounce) can Mexicorn, drained
• 1 lime