Chile Colorado

Chile Colorado

 

From Chelsie Kenyon

 

Chelsie's comments: A rich and flavorful red stew with chunks of tender beef. Serve with fresh flour tortillas for the ultimate comfort food.

 

INGREDIENTS:

 

8 dried red chiles (such as Guajillo, California or New Mexico) rehydrated and ground into a paste (see below)
3lb beef roast with enough water to cover
1 can beef broth
1 can tomato sauce
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely diced
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons lard or oil for frying

 

Rehydrating Dried Chiles-

 

Pick dried chiles that have no tears or broken pieces. Use whole chiles that look fresh. Rinse off any excess dust or grime under cool water. Pat dry then cut the top off of each chile and then slit it down the middle. Shake out the seeds, using your fingers or a spoon to dislodge any seeds that want to stick. Peel off any excess dried veins that are lighter in color and run in a line down the inside.

 

Heat a comal (or griddle) over medium/high heat and roast the dried chiles for 2-3 minutes. Turn them often to avoid burning them. Then you're going to cover the chiles in hot water and let them soak for about 30 minutes. Remove the chiles from the water and place the chiles in a blender with about 1/4 cup of water or the soaking liquid (if it is not too bitter) and puree until smooth. You can also add the garlic and oregano to the chiles while blending them. The finished puree is what you will add to the Chile Colorado.

 

PREPARATION:

 

Simmer the beef in a large pot for 2-3 hours or until it is fork tender. This can also be done in a crock pot during the day. Remove the beef from the water, and drain the water out of the pot. Add the lard or oil into the pot over medium/high heat. Cut or pull the beef into bite sized pieces and fry them in the oil briefly. (This step can be skipped for a lower fat version.) Add the beef broth, tomato sauce, seasoning and chile paste to the pot and simmer for 30 minutes. Serve with steaming hot flour tortillas and a side of chopped white onion and chopped cilantro leaves.

 

i tried this, and it was pretty darned good. i had intended to add a can of crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce, but after rendering/removing the fat and bone in the chuck roast, it was smaller than i expected, so i only added the can of crushed tomatoes, NOT the can of tomato sauce. i will say that this method of preparation made the roast very tender and juicy. if you have ever had a can of dinty moore beef stew, the chunks of roast were similar in tenderness to that. had the roast been the right size, i would have added the tomato sauce.

when i put the roast in the oven to slow-cook at 250 degrees, i sprinkled some ground cumin and chili powder on it. i also added a chopped onion and a little chopped garlic. the result smelled and tasted great, but the garlic was a little strong, so in the future, i will try three cloves instead of four.

the simple flavors of beef, tomato, garlic, oregano, onion and the chiles made an almost-perfect combination. i omitted the salt, since the tomatoes and beef broth seemed to have plenty. the chiles provided the right amount of spice without being overpowering or oppressive - overall, i was impressed.

my wife complained about the lack of beans. i tried to explain, but to no avail.....