It’s Super Bowl week! As in the one party outside of Thanksgiving that is all about the food. For this year, I’m firing up the slow cooker and making this short rib chili.
This year I’m just hear for the food because neither of my teams made it to the Big Dance. In my dream scenario, the Lions would be playing the Bills. Sigh, another year perhaps. Be still, one must eat.
Truth be told, this is not my recipe, but rather a very close adaptation from the one crafted by the good folks at Food52. I saw it and was immediately intrigued, even though I still think mom’s classic chili is the best. Plus, I had a can of pumpkin left over from the holidays.
But really, what is classic chili? I think everyone has their own opinion on this and some people even put pasta in it. To me, that’s just WILD.
Though I admit to making a few odds and ends one around here: piri-piri chicken, green turkey, aussie burger. So I guess I’m a little wild, too.
Back to this one, it’s actually giving off mole vibes, which to be honest, I’m not a huge fan of in general. BUT, letting this sit for an over night and giving it the proper chili garnishes did the trick and I think it’s an acceptable option to add into the rotation or even a contender for a chili cook-off. Let’s get to it.
What ingredients do I need for short rib chili?
- short ribs, obviously.
- onion & garlic, the standard base
- diced tomatoes & tomato paste
- all the spices: chili, cumin, coriander, paprika, thyme, oregano, cinnamon
- a few surprises: gochujang, beer (I used a coffee stout), chocolate and espresso powder for umami and depth
- pumpkin & beans, for fiber and heft
Sounds pretty good, yah? Best part? It’s almost completely hands-off.
GAME ON!
Short Rib Chili
Ingredients
- 4 TB olive oil
- 2 ½ pounds beef short ribs
- 2 cups yellow onion, diced approx 1 large onion
- 4 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 red bell pepper seeded and chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 TB hot chili powder
- ½ TB ground corinader
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp dried Mexican oregano
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp smoked hot paprika
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 TB gochujang sauce
- 1 TB tomato paste
- 12 oz stout beer
- 14 oz diced tomatoes 1 can
- 1 tsp espresso powder
- ½ ounce dark chocolate
- 14 oz black beans 1 can, drained and rinsed
- 14 oz pumpkin puree 1 can
- ½ TB brown sugar
Garnishes
- avocado
- cheese
- green onions
- sour cream
- tortilla chips
Instructions
- Season the short ribs with salt and pepper on all sides.
- To the bowl of your slow cooker (or to a large stockpot, if your slow cooker bowl cannot go on the stove), add the oil over high heat. Sear the short ribs on each side until brown. Remove from the pot and set aside.
- Back to the pot over medium high heat, add the onions, garlic, pepper and spices. Cook until soft and the onions are translucent. Add the gochujang, tomato paste and tomatoes. Stir until well combined.
- To the pot, add the beer, chocolate, espresso, pumpkin puree and sugar. Add the short ribs and transfer to the bowl of the slow cooker.
- Cook over high heat for 4 hours. Add the beans and cook another 30 minutes, until the meat is falling off the bone tender. Remove the meat from the pot, and shred return to the chili.
- Serve, with the garnishes you desire.