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short rib & pumpkin chili

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Short Rib & Pumpkin Chili

At first glance, this thing looks daunting. But once you've assembled the ingredients, it really is pretty straightforward. I've taken a more than a few liberties on traditional chili.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon ground coriander
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano (preferably Mexican)
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon hot Spanish pimentón (or other hot, smoked paprika)
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 5 pounds short ribs (bone-in, or 3 pounds boneless)
  • 1 large sweet onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup gochujang (Korean chili paste)*
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon Maggi seasoning (or 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce)
  • 2 12-ounce bottles oatmeal stout beer
  • 1/2 cup espresso (or strong coffee)
  • 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate (or 1 tablespoon unsweetened powdered chocolate)
  • 1 tablespoon masa harina (or corn meal) mixed into 1/2 cup hot water
  • 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 15.5-ounce can black beans
  • 3 cups more or less cubed, peeled cooking pumpkin (1/2-inch cubes). Can substitute butternut squash.
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • Salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Hot sauce of choice, jalapeño rings, sour cream/Mexican creme, shredded cheese, chopped cilantro (for garnish)

Directions

  • *In place of gochujang, you can use another Asian chili paste, or use the peppers from a can of chipotles en adobo: Finely chop 2 of the chipotles and mix together with 1 tablespoon of the adobo sauce. It’s a totally different flavor profile but more common to find.
  • Combine the chili powder, ground coriander, ground cumin, dried oregano, dried thyme, and pimentón (smoked paprika) in a small bowl.
  • Season the ribs with salt and pepper.
  • Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or large ovenproof braising pan over medium-high heat. Working in batches as needed, brown the ribs, transferring them to a platter as they are done.
  • Preheat oven to 400° F.
  • Add the onions to the oil, stirring to coat and scraping the pan to release any browned bits from the searing. Cook for about 4 minutes, until lightly browned, then add the garlic; cook for about 30 seconds, then stir in the gochujang, tomato paste, soy sauce, Maggi seasoning, and the chili powder-spice mixture. Cook for about 1 minute, then stir in 1 1/2 bottles of the beer into the chili; drink the other half of the second bottle. (A total of 16 to 18 ounces of beer should end up in the chili.) Add the coffee, chocolate, masa harina, and tomatoes. Add the seared ribs and cook, stirring a few times, until the mixture reaches a brisk simmer. Transfer the covered pot to the oven and cook for 3 1/2 hours or until the meat is tender and falling apart.
  • Stir pumpkin, black beans, and brown sugar into the chili. Continue cooking until the pumpkin is tender, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven. Remove the ribs from the pan and allow to cool enough to handle. Remove meat from ribs (if using bone-in ribs). The meat should be fall-apart tender. Discard bones or save them for your dog. Using two forks, coarsely shred the meat and return to the chili. Season to taste with salt.
  • Spoon chili into bowls and garnish with hot sauce, shredded cheese, sour cream, jalapeno rings, and cilantro (or some combination thereof, depending on tastes).

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