Pasilla powder, made from toasted and ground pasilla chiles, and masa harina, a dried corn flour, are available at specialty grocery stores.
YIELDS 5 CUPS; SERVES 4
INGREDIENTS
- 1 Tbs. cumin seeds
- 11/2 tsp. coriander seeds
- 2 Tbs. fresh oregano leaves or 1 Tbs. dried
- 3 Tbs. vegetable oil
- 3 lb. beef chuck, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1/2 large yellow onion, chopped
- 8 cloves garlic, chopped
- 5 fresh jalapeños (preferably red), stemmed, seeded, and chopped
- 3 Tbs. masa harina
- 2 Tbs. ground pasilla powder
- 2 lb. tomatoes (fresh or canned), seeded and chopped
- 1 dried chipotle chile, seeded
- 1 dried New Mexico red chile
- 1 12-oz. bottle dark beer, such as Negra Modelo
- 1 oz. unsweetened chocolate
- 4 cups water or homemade or lower-salt canned chicken stock
INSTRUCTIONS
- Toast and grind the cumin and coriander, and toast the fresh oregano as described on the facing page (don’t toast dried oregano).
- In a large, heavy-based skillet, Dutch oven, or stockpot, heat the oil until very hot. Brown the meat in the oil in batches (add more oil to the pan as needed), being careful not to crowd the pan or the meat will stew in its own juices and not brown. Transfer the browned meat from the pan to a plate lined with paper towels. Don’t clean the skillet after browning the meat.
- To the same skillet, add the onion, garlic, jalapeños, masa harina, pasilla powder, the toasted ground cumin and coriander, and toasted (or dried) oregano. Stir over medium-high heat until the onion begins to soften, 5 to 8 minutes. Return the meat to the skillet; add the tomatoes, whole dried chiles, beer, chocolate, and water or stock. Simmer until the meat is fork-tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove the whole chiles before serving
NUTRITION INFORMATION PER SERVING:
- 750 CALORIES | 80g PROTEIN | 32g CARB | 31g TOTAL FAT | 12g SAT FAT | 13g MONO FAT | 6g POLY FAT | 235mg CHOL | 230 mg SODIUM | 7g FIBER
