St. Patricks day is my favorite holiday and since I couldn't celebrate this year, I decide to bring the holiday into my kitchen. I had a 6-pack of Guinness and some stew meat so I came up with this recipe. You can swap any beans you have, I only had chickpeas and black beans on hand at the time. Kidney or pinto beans would be great here. I also served mine over a baked potato to make the meal a bit more hearty.
Guinness Beef Chili
Serves: 6-8
Cook time: 2 - 2 1/2 hours
Hands-on time: 30 mins
Swap Option: Use ground beef, turkey or chili instead of stew meat. This will cut the cooking time drastically. Simply brown meat the same way you would the stew meat and adjust cooking time.
Why I Love This Recipe: The larger cuts of meat braise and break down in the chili spices and beer making for a complex and hearty chili.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons safflower oil, or any neutral vegetable oil such as canola
1 1/2 pounds stew meat, cut into 2-inch cubes (also known as chuck meat)
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoon cumin seed, lightly crushed or 1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1-12oz bottle of Guinness
1 quart beef stock, low-sodium
1 can of tomatoes with chilis (such as Rotel)
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced
1-15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1-15 oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon apple cider or white vinegar
Toppings such as avocado, sour cream, cheese, diced red or white onion, jalapeños or crushed tortilla chips.
1. In a dutch-oven over medium-high heat containing safflower oil, add stew meat. Season with salt and pepper. Let meat brown evenly on all sides. Remove meat from pan and set-aside on small plate or baking tray.
2. Add onions and peppers to dutch-oven. Saute until softened, about 5-7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add in garlic and briefly sauté till aromatic.
3. Add chili powder, cumin, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Let spices toast/bloom in the remaining fat in the pan, about 1 minute, to help enhance flavors.
4. Add in tomato paste. Cook tomato paste till the color deepens and begins to caramelize, about 2-3 minutes. Add in Guinness and de-glaze the bottom of the pan, being sure to scrape up browned bits.
5. Add meat back into pan. Add canned tomatoes and beef stock. Bring chili to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Cook partially covered on low heat for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours, till meat is beginning to break down. If meat is not tender enough, add 1-2 cups more beef stock or water and continue to cook for an additional 1/2 hour till tender.
6. Once meat is starting to become tender, add sweet potatoes, black beans and chickpeas. Cook additional 20-30 minutes, till sweet potatoes are tender and cooked thru. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper.
7. Add a splash of white or apple cider vinegar to bring brightness and a touch of acidity to the chili, if desired. Top chili with desired toppings such as avocado, sour cream, cheese, diced red or white onion, jalapeños or crushed tortilla chips.