Classic Ground Beef With Guajillo Chiles Food

BEEF CHILI

Steps:

• Remove seeds from ancho, guajillo, and pasilla chiles and place in a medium bowl. Pour in 3 cups boiling water and cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap; let sit until chiles are softened, 20-25 minutes. Transfer chiles and soaking liquid to a blender and blend on high until smooth, about 1 minute; set aside.
• Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium-high. Season beef all over with salt and pepper. Working in 2-3 batches, cook, turning pieces once, until browned, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
• Reduce heat to medium; add onions and garlic to pot. Cook, stirring often to loosen browned bits from bottom of pot, until onions are translucent and very soft, 6-8 minutes. Add cumin and oregano and cook, stirring, until spices start to stick to pot, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes and brown sugar and scrape bottom of pot to loosen spices, then add lager. Bring to a lively simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until beer is almost completely evaporated, 10-15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cut beef into 1/2" pieces, discarding any large bits of fat or gristle.
• Add beef, reserved chile purée, and 2 cups water to pot; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer gently, uncovered, until liquid is thickened and meat is very tender, 1 1/2-2 hours. Taste chili and season with more salt and pepper if needed. Remove from heat and stir in vinegar. Divide chili among bowls and top as desired.
• Do Ahead
• Chili can be made 4 days ahead. Let cool; cover and chill. Reheat gently over low, stirring occasionally, and adding a splash of water to loosen if needed.

TRUE TEXAS CHILI

Steps:

• 1. Place the chiles in a straight-sided large skillet over medium-low heat and gently toast the chiles until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Don't let them burn or they'll turn bitter. Place the chiles in a bowl and cover them with very hot water and soak until soft, 15 to 45 minutes, turning once or twice.
• 2. Drain the chiles; split them and remove stems and seeds (a brief rinse helps remove seeds, but don't wash away the flesh). Place the chiles in the bowl of a blender and add the cumin, black pepper, 1 tablespoon salt and 1/4 cup water. Purée the mixture, adding more water as needed (and occasionally scraping down the sides of the blender jar), until a smooth, slightly fluid paste forms (you want to eliminate all but the tiniest bits of skin.) Set the chile paste aside.
• 3. Return skillet to medium-high heat and melt 2 tablespoons of the lard. When it begins to smoke, swirl skillet to coat and add half of the beef. Lightly brown on at least two sides, about 3 minutes per side, reducing the heat if the meat threatens to burn. Transfer to a bowl and repeat with 2 more tablespoons of lard and the remaining beef. Reserve.
• 4. Let the skillet cool slightly, and place it over medium-low heat. Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of lard in the skillet; add the onion and garlic and cook gently for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the stock, the remaining 2 cups water and gradually whisk in the masa harina to avoid lumps. Stir in the reserved chile paste, scraping the bottom of the skillet with a spatula to loosen any browned bits. Add the reserved beef (and any juices in the bowl) and bring to a simmer over high heat. Reduce heat to maintain the barest possible simmer (just a few bubbles breaking the surface) and cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is tender but still somewhat firm and 1 1/2 to 2 cups of thickened but still liquid sauce surrounds the cubes of meat, about 2 hours.
• 5. Stir in the brown sugar and vinegar thoroughly and add more salt to taste; gently simmer 10 minutes more. At this point, it may look like there is excess sauce. Turn off the heat and let the chili stand for at least 30 minutes, during which time the meat will absorb about half of the remaining sauce in the skillet, leaving the meat bathed in a thick, somewhat fluid sauce. Stir in additional broth or water if the mixture seems too dry. If the mixture seems a bit loose and wet, allow it to simmer a bit more (sometimes we like to partially crush the cubes of beef with the back of a spoon to let them absorb more sauce). Adjust the balance of flavors with a bit of additional salt, sugar, or vinegar, if you like.
• 6. Reheat gently and serve in individual bowls with a dollop of sour cream on top and a lime wedge on the side.

ENCHILADA CASSEROLE WITH RED GUAJILLO CHILE SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir beef in the hot skillet, sprinkling in pepper and taco seasoning, until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes. Add onion, bell peppers, and carrots; saute for 5 minutes.
• Pour guajillo sauce into a large measuring cup and stir in sugar. Pour sauce over the beef mixture; stir in black beans.
• Place 3 tortillas on the bottom of a casserole dish. Add half the meat mixture on top. Sprinkle 1/2 of the shredded cheese on top. Repeat the layers, ending with cheese on top.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is melted and golden brown, about 25 minutes.

CLASSIC GROUND BEEF WITH GUAJILLO CHILES

Steps:

• In a large, heavy skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat; add the onion and garlic and sauté until the onion is softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes, guajillo and serrano chiles, cilantro, cumin, oregano, and the 3 tablespoons of water. Season with salt and pepper. Cook the tomato mixture down until the consistency of a thick marinara sauce. Crumble in the ground beef, mashing and stirring it to combine with the sauce, increase the heat to high and cook, covered, until the meat has lost its pink color and the filling is moist, but not liquid, about 12 minutes. The meat should be soft like meatloaf.
• Remove from the heat, stir in the lime juice, and serve right away, or keep warm in the pan until ready to serve.
• To serve, divide the lettuce, filling, salsa, and cheese equally between the crispy shells and arrange in a taco holder. Or, lean the filled shells in a row, propped upright, on a platter. Eat right away. To build your own, spoon some lettuce and filling in a crispy shell, top with cheese and salsa, and eat right away.