Beef Chile Colorado

Ingredients

• 2.5 lb Beef stew meat
• 2 tsp Kosher salt
• 1 tsp Black pepper
• 2 tbsp Neutral oil
• 5 Dried guajillo chiles
• 3 Dried ancho chiles
• 2 Dried New Mexico chiles
• 4 cloves Garlic cloves
• 0.5 medium White onion
• 2 cups Beef broth, divided
• 1 tsp Ground cumin
• 1 tsp Mexican oregano
• 0.25 tsp Ground cinnamon
• 1 tbsp Apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp Brown sugar
• 1.5 tsp Kosher salt, adjusted to taste
• 1 Bay leaf
• Beef broth, additional as needed
• Fresh cilantro, for serving
• White onion, diced, for serving
• Warm tortillas, for serving

Instructions

1. Stem and seed the dried guajillo, ancho, and New Mexico chiles.
2. Toast the chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 10-20 seconds per side. Do not burn — burnt chiles will make the sauce bitter.
3. Transfer the toasted chiles to a bowl and cover with very hot water. Soak for 20 minutes until softened.
4. Season the beef stew meat with kosher salt and black pepper.
5. Heat neutral oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the beef in batches and remove to a plate.
6. Drain the softened chiles (discard the soaking water).
7. Blend the softened chiles with the garlic, half a white onion, 1.5 cups of beef broth, ground cumin, Mexican oregano, ground cinnamon, apple cider vinegar, and brown sugar until very smooth.
8. For a smoother, restaurant-style sauce, strain the blended chile mixture through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing with a spatula.
9. Pour the chile sauce into the Dutch oven and cook for about 3-4 minutes, stirring, until it deepens in color and becomes fragrant.
10. Return the browned beef to the pot.
11. Add the bay leaf and enough additional beef broth so the beef is mostly surrounded by liquid.
12. Partially cover and simmer very gently for 2-2.5 hours until the beef is extremely tender. Stir occasionally.
13. Uncover during the final 20-30 minutes if the sauce needs reducing. Adjust salt to taste.
14. Serve with rice, beans, and warm tortillas. Garnish with fresh cilantro and diced onion.

Chef's Notes

Stew meat is usually cut from tougher beef muscles and benefits from low, moist cooking until connective tissue softens. The most important doneness cue is fork-tender beef. If beef is still chewy, continue gently cooking. Storage: Refrigerate promptly in airtight containers for up to 4 days. The flavor actually improves the next day. Reheating: Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat. Add a splash of beef broth if the sauce has thickened too much.

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