Ancho Chili Con Carne

Some of you might already know that the Gracious Bowl got a little press recently. Lisa Jaffe Hubbell wrote an article featuring us in good company alongside Knox of the official Soup Swap site and Renee of Almost Foodies. It appeared in the December 2 USA Weekend Magazine, a Sunday insert in multiple papers across the country (equivalent to Parade).

We knew something was coming soon, having been interviewed back in November, but we figured it would be a little blurb. Since WashPost's weekly is Parade, we only saw the online version and not an actual printed copy. That is, until our friend Stacy sent us two magazines from Louisiana. Turns out the article covered nearly two-pages in full-color, complete with photos by Joe Foley of swappers last January at the DC Guesthouse!



Not only did this result in a lot more traffic to our site, but we started getting email requests for the ancho chili con carne recipe mentioned in the article.

Our friend Geoff Hartman was the force behind this highly coveted chili recipe. The sad news is that he passed away suddenly from cancer-related complications back in June. We'd talked with him about writing a guest post disclosing his secrets in adapting the Martha Stewart recipe for the swap, but we took time for granted and just never got around to it.

What we will say is that Geoff was a lot of things to a lot of people and--related to this site--he was a big lover of all things food, all things Martha, and all things Nigella. Despite a tiny city kitchen, he made it his personal mission to keep everyone--and especially his longtime partner, Joe--very well fed.

Not wanting to leave anyone out at the swap, his original intention was to make 12 quarts of soup: one batch for the carnivores and one batch for the vegetarians, but he ran out of time.

Fortunately, Geoff did tell us the base recipe he used for his ancho chili along with a brief explanation. So we made it again and adapted it here with a few changes. He's probably out there somewhere rolling his eyes and sighing at all this; not to mention our addition of black beans. We assure you--had he written this post--it would've been much funnier and much dirtier. Geoff's wicked sense of humor, big heart, and delicious cooking continue to be sorely missed.

Ancho Chili Con Carne
Serves 8-10

3 dried ancho chiles (or 3 fresh poblanos, roasted & peeled if you can't find ancho)
1-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 lbs boneless pork shoulder, finely chopped
2 lbs boneless chuck steak, 1/2 inch cubes
4 strips pork or turkey bacon, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp cumin
1 tsp red chili powder
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1 bay leaf
1 (28 oz) can whole peeled tomatoes, briefly pulsed in blender
24 oz beer (I like an amber beer)
1/2 lb beef neck bones
2 (15 oz) cans black beans, drained
1 Tbsp distilled white vinegar
2 oz dark chocolate, chopped
salt and pepper

Optional accompaniments:
sour cream
fresh cilantro
sliced avocado
extra sharp cheddar cheese
scallions
fresh tomato
tortilla chips
pickled jalapenos

1. Toast the dried chiles* in a skillet over medium heat, turning often, until fragrant and puffed up, 2 minutes. Cut in half; remove cores. Reserve seeds. Transfer chiles to a bowl; cover with boiling water. Set aside. *Alternately, if using fresh poblanos, roast them over an open flame or under a broiler until skin is charred. Place poblanos is a paper bag and let steam for about five minutes. Peel off black skin with your hands and remove seeds and cores.

2. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and working in batches, brown pork and beef until browned. Transfer meat to a plate as it is browned.

3. Meanwhile, put chiles and 1/2 cup soaking liquid into a blender; puree. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add bacon and cook until browned--remove bacon and save for later, then add onion and garlic to the bacon fat and cook, stirring often until softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in cumin, oregano, chili powder (if using), bay leaf, 1 teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons reserved chile seeds (more for heat, if desired). Cook 1 minute, add chile puree and raise heat to medium-high; cook, stirring for 2 minutes.

4. Return meat to pot. Add 2 teaspoons salt, tomatoes, beef bones, and beer. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low Simmer, stirring occasionally, 1 1/2 hours. Add strained and rinsed black beans and cook for another 30-45 minutes. Discard beef bones and bay leaf. Add vinegar and chocolate chunks and stir until chocolate is melted. Add the reserved bacon to your bowl at the end if you like it crispy, or toss it in the pot and stir if you like it softer.

5. Serve with any or all of these accompaniments: sour cream, fresh cilantro, sliced avocado, extra sharp cheddar cheese, scallions, fresh tomato, tortilla chips, pickled jalapenos.

Adapted from Martha Stewart