Braised Chile Colorado Beef Shanks Or Chamorros Con Chile Colorado Food

BEEF CHILE COLORADO

Steps:

• In a large sauté pan or wide bottom pot, toast the chiles over medium heat for 1-2 minutes to bring out the flavor of the peppers. Remove from the pan until needed.
• Add olive oil to the hot pan and sauté the onions for 2-3 minutes then add in the garlic and continue to sauté for 1 minute.
• Add the toasted chiles, fire-roasted tomatoes, seasonings and beef stock to the pan.
• Bring the mixture to a gentle boil. Turn off heat, cover the pot and let it steep for 45 minutes.
• Reserve one cup of the stock. Add the remainder of the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth at the highest setting. Add additional liquid if the mixture is too thick for your blender. Reserve the remainder of the liquid till needed.**Depending on the power of the blender it may completely puree all the ingredients. If it has bits and pieces remaining, run the sauce through a sieve to take out and pieces that didn't get pureed.
• Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the oil and half of the meat and brown on all sides so they have a good sear, about 5-7 minutes. Transfer the browned beef into a bowl and repeat the process with the remaining uncooked meat.
• When all the beef has browned, return all the meat to the pot. Add in the red chile sauce, and reserved beef broth. Stir to combine and bring the mixture to a boil. Once the mixture has begun to boil, reduce the heat to simmer. Cover the pot and continue to simmer for 2 hours.
• Uncover, taste and reseason as necessary.
• Mix the masa harina with 2 tablespoons of the broth from the pot to make a slurry. Add the slurry back into the pot and mix well.
• Raise to medium heat and cook for another 15 to 30 minutes, until the sauce has reduced and thickened slightly. If you prefer a thicker sauce, cook longer.
• Serve with rice, tortillas and beans and enjoy!

CHILE COLORADO

Steps:

• Remove meat from fridge and cut into ½ inch cubes. Set aside.
• Remove the stems (and seeds if you want, for milder heat) from the dried chiles while rinsing them under cold water. Place chiles in a saucepan and cover with broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare the meat. Season on all sides with salt and pepper and sprinkle with flour. Add oil to a skillet over medium high heat. Once hot, add meat and cook until browned on both sides. Depending on the size of your pan you will need to do this in a few batches to keep from overcrowding.
• Remove meat to a plate and set aside. Add onion and jalapeno to the pan and saute for several minutes.
• As the onions cook, pour the softened peppers and the broth into a blender. Add the sautéed onion and jalapeno and blend until smooth. Set aside.
• Return browned beef (and accumulated juices) back to the pot. Strain the chili sauce from the blender through a fine mesh strainer, into the pot. Add oregano, cumin, paprika, garlic powder and stir well. Add bay leaf.
• Bring to a slow boil, then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about an hour, or until the meat is very tender.
• Uncover and stir in lime juice and cornstarch slurry. Cook for a few more minutes, until the sauce has slightly thickened.
• Serve as a stew with tortillas for dipping and a side of Mexican rice and beans.

BRAISED BEEF AND RED CHILES

Steps:

• Add the chiles and garlic to a saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and steep for 20 to 30 minutes. Pour off half the cooking liquid. Using an immersion blender, puree the peppers, garlic and remaining liquid until smooth. (Alternatively, you can use a regular blender. Be careful when blending hot or warm ingredients.)
• Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.
• Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season the chuck roast with the salt, pepper, chile powder and cumin. When the oil is hot, add the meat to the Dutch oven and brown on all sides, about 3 minutes, then remove to a plate.
• Add the tomato paste and onion to the pot and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the stock, sugar, bay leaves and pepper puree to the pot and stir to combine. Return the beef to the pot and cover. Roast until the meat is fall-apart tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
• Remove the bay leaves. Shred the meat in the pot and serve on warm tortillas with shaved cabbage, sour cream, lime and cilantro.