Bacon Chili Beef Stew Food

SLOW-COOKED STEW MEAT CHILI

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add stew meat and brown for 2 minutes, stirring often. Add chili powder and cumin; cook and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute more. Transfer meat to a large slow cooker.
• Add diced tomatoes, black beans, kidney beans, 1 1/2 cups beef broth, onion, bell pepper, parsley, barbecue sauce, brown sugar, garlic, and salt to the slow cooker; stir until well combined.
• Cover and cook on Low, stirring occasionally, until beef is tender, 6 to 8 hours. Thin the chili with remaining beef broth as it cooks, if consistency is too thick.

SLOW-COOKER BACON CHILI

Steps:

• Spray 5-quart slow cooker with cooking spray.
• In 12-inch skillet, cook bacon 12 to 14 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crispy. Drain on paper towels. Reserve 1/4 cup; cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Add remaining bacon to slow cooker.
• Reserve 1 tablespoon drippings in skillet. Add beef, bell pepper, onion and garlic. Increase heat to medium-high. Cook 6 to 9 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is thoroughly cooked; drain.
• Add beef mixture to slow cooker; stir in remaining chili ingredients. Cover; cook on High heat setting 3 to 4 hours or on Low heat setting 6 to 8 hours. Serve with reserved bacon and Toppings.

BEEF STEW WITH BACON

Steps:

• Heat a large casserole or deep skillet that can later be covered over mediumhigh heat for 2 or 3 minutes add bacon stirring until crisp, remove with a slotted spoon and reserve, leave bacon drippings in pan (if desired); add the oil and the crushed garlic clove; cook, stirring, for I minute, then remove and discard the garlic. Add the meat chunks to the skillet a few at a time, turning to brown well on all sides. Do not crowd or they will not brown properly; cook them in batches if necessary. (You may find it easier to do the initial browning in the oven: Preheat to 500 degrees and roast the meat with 1 tablespoon of the oil and the garlic clove, shaking the pan to turn them once or twice, until brown all over. Remove the garlic clove before continuing.) Season the meat with salt and pepper as it cooks. When the meat is brown, remove it with a slotted spoon. Pour or spoon off most of the fat and turn the heat to medium. Add the onions. Cook, stirring, until they soften, about 10 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes. Add the stock or water or wine, bay leaf, thyme, and meat, and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low and cover. Cook, undisturbed, for 30 minutes.
• * Uncover the pan; the mixture should be quite soupy (if it is not, add a little more liquid). Add the potatoes and carrots, turn the heat up for a minute or so to resume boiling, then lower the heat and cover again. Cook 30 to 60 minutes until the meat and vegetables are tender. Taste for seasoning and add more salt, pepper, and/or thyme if necessary. (If you are not planning to serve the stew immediately, remove the meat and vegetables with a slotted spoon and refrigerate them and the stock separately. Skim the fat from the stock before combining it with the meat and vegetables, reheating, and proceeding with the recipe from this point.) Add the minced garlic and the peas and bacon; if you are pleased with the stew's consistency, continue to cook, covered, over low heat. If it is too soupy, remove the cover and raise the heat to high. In either case, cook an additional 5 minutes or so, until the peas have heated through and the garlic flavor has pervaded the stew. Garnish and serve.
• Time: 1 1/2 to 2 hours, largely unattended .

BEEF AND BACON CHILI

Steps:

• Optional toppings: sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, chopped onion, chopped cilantro. In a large saucepan, cook bacon over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until crisp. Remove to paper towels with slotted spoon. Pour off all but about 1 tablespoon of the drippings. In drippings, brown ground beef with onion and green pepper; drain. Add reserved bacon and remaining ingredients except optional toppings; mix well. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes. Ladle into bowls, top as desired, and serve with additional picante sauce.

TEXAS-STYLE CHILI CON CARNE

Steps:

• Mix the chili powders, cumin, oregano, coriander, cinnamon and cornmeal in a small bow and stir in ½ cup water to form a thick paste; set aside.
• Season the beef with the salt; set aside.
• In a large pot or Dutch oven, fry the bacon over medium heat, stirring frequently so it doesn't stick, until the fat renders and the bacon crisps, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Pour all but a few teaspoons of fat from the pot into a small bowl; set aside.
• Increase the heat to medium-high. Sear the meat in three batches (it should be in a single layer), until well browned on one side, about 4 minutes per batch, adding more of the reserved bacon fat as necessary. (Hint: Once the meat is in the pan, don't stir or touch it - leaving it alone will allow it to develop a nice brown crust on one side.) Place the seared meat on a plate. Add about ¼ cup of water to the pot (it will smoke), and scrape the bottom with a wooden spoon to release all of the flavorful brown bits. Pour the dark liquid over the seared meat.
• Reduce the heat to medium and add 3 tablespoons of the reserved bacon fat to the pot. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and jalapeños and cook 2 minutes more. Add the reserved chili paste and sauté until fragrant, a few minutes (it will look clumpy and stick to the bottom a bit - that's okay).
• Add the beef broth and stir with a whisk until the spice mixture is completely dissolved. Scrape the bottom of the pot with the whisk to release any spices. Stir in the the water, beer, crushed tomatoes, molasses and cocoa powder. Add the reserved bacon and seared beef (along with the juices from the beef on the bottom of the plate) back to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cover, leaving the lid just barely ajar. Simmer, stirring occasionally so the bottom doesn't burn, until the meat is meltingly tender and the juices are thickened, 2½ to 3 hours. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Ladle the chile con carne into bowls and serve with cilantro, cheese, and lime wedges.
• Note: When selecting the meat, be sure not to buy anything generically labeled "stew meat." Also, you will lose about ½ pound after trimming the fat, so if you buy the meat already trimmed and cubed, you'll only need about 3½ pounds.
• Tip: To make bacon easier to chop, try placing it in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes first. The colder it is, the easier it is to cut.
• Note: Always be careful when handling jalapeño peppers. Wash your hands well when done and avoid touching your eyes.
• Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The chili can be frozen for up to 3 months. Before serving, defrost it in the refrigerator for 12 hours and then reheat it on the stovetop over medium heat until hot.