Nick's Award Winning Chili
A flavorful chili that packs the punch
Equipment
- 1 medium saucepan
- 1 large pot, such as Le Creuset Dutch oven
- 1 Blender, such as Vitamix
Ingredients
- 2 1/12 cups canned low sodium chicken broth
- 3 oz. stemmed, seeded, torn into pieces dried ancho chiles (about 5 large)
- 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 1 lb. beef chorizo, casings removed
- 1 lb. pork chorizo, casings removed
- 2 cups red onions, chopped
- 12 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 Tbsp. dried oregano
- 1 Tbsp. ground cumin
- 3 1/4 lbs. round-bone lamb shoulder chops, deboned, cut into 1/2-inch (or smaller) cubes
- 1 15 oz. can golden hominy rinsed and drained
- 1 15 oz. can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
- 1/2 can IPA beer (the other half is for you or adjust as needed!)
Toppings:
- shredded cheese, such as cheddar or Monterey jack
- diced white onions
- chopped scallions, light green parts only
- sour cream
- fritos (my family favorite)
Instructions
- Combine broth, dried chiles, and cayenne pepper in a heavy medium saucepan. Cover and simmer over medium heat until chilies soften, about 12 minutes. Puree chile mixture in batches in blender.
- Stir beef and pork chorizo in heavy large pot over medium-high heat until drippings come to simmer and meat is no longer pink, breaking up meat with spoon. Transfer to fine strainer set over bowl. Let chorizo drain 10 minutes. Be sure to save some of the drippings for the next step!
- Return 1/4 cup chorizo drippings to same pot and heat over medium-high heat (discard remaining drippings). Add onions, garlic, oregano and cumin. Sauté until onions begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle lamb with salt and pepper; add to pot. Sauté until lamb is no longer pink outside, about 10 minutes. Add chili puree and drained chorizo. Bring chili to boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer 1 hour. Add hominy. Simmer uncovered until lamb is tender and liquid thickens, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep chilled. Rewarm before serving.)
- The chili can be made up to 3 days ahead. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep in the refrigerator. Rewarm before serving.
- Serve hot with toppings of your choice.
Notes
Katie's Tips:
*As noted above, chili gets better the longer it sits. Ideally make this a day or two in advance.
*Serve with jalapeño or regular cornbread.
*Lamb scares me. But trust me when I say you do not even know it is lamb. Buy lamb stew meat. Chop it up smaller if you prefer small pieces of meat in your chili.
*A strong blender like Vitamix helps to blend the peppers and broth into an instant sauce.