Machaca chili with Guinness and chipotles Jan 2009 Foods and Flavors of San Antoniochili contest winner!

This chili is a synthesis of two distinct recipes: one for machaca, or shredded beef, and the other a fine chili recipe that I modify in several different versions depending on what I have on hand and what kind of mood I’m in.

I first heard of machaca beef in the mid-'70s from my friend Ken. He and his wife Sandy had moved from LA to NYC and I met them when they came up to their weekend home in our little town in the Catskills. Whenever Ken waxed poetic about the Mexican food he missed, particularly the legendary machaca burritos, it made my mouth water. Many, many years later I came across this recipe in one of Leo’s cookbooks, The Feast of Santa Fe by Hartley Dent (Simon and Schuster). Hartley remarks that Mexican cooks generally reserve the magic machaca term for sun-dried beef, but I believe this recipe is as close as I’m ever likely to get to the real deal in my home kitchen.

Machaca beef (hand-shredded beef)

2-3 pounds beef brisket (trimmed of all excess fat)
1 onion, coarsely chopped
1-2 garlic cloves, chopped (I invariably use more – at least 4 of our homegrown)
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon black pepper (fresh ground is best)
½ teaspoon cumin (ground or whole)
Vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 325. After trimming excess fat from the brisket, rub the beef with a little vegetable oil (I use olive oil). Then rub the beef thoroughly with the mixed spices and pat the garlic and the onion all over the beef to finish. Wrap the meat in heavy-duty foil, making sure that you have a tight seal all around. Place the package in a baking dish and bake for 2 ½ to 3 hours, until the beef is tender enough to fall apart. Low and slow is the way to go here.

When the beef is fork-tender, unwrap the top of the foil package, push aside the onions, and place the meat close to a broiler flame. Allow to broil only until the top surface begins to look dry and is starting to brown. Remove from the broiler and let the beef cool. Shred it into long shreds with your finger, then store them in the refrigerator (for up to a week), or freeze for later use. Note: shred the beef as fine or thick as you like; you can also cut the shreds to your preferred length. But DO use your hands for the authentic machaca effect.

Now that you have your wonderful hand-shredded beef, you’re ready to put it into service as the star of your. . .

Machaca chili with Guinness and chipotles

(this is our adaptation of Jane Butel's Esquire Fortnightly's Eastern Establishment Chili published in her book, Chili Madness, Workman Publishing, New York)

2 cups dried black beans (you can substitute canned black beans if you’re in a hurry, but the dried beans contribute a lot to the texture of the final product)
1/3 cup olive oil
2 large onions, coarsely chopped
6 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 green bell peppers, cored, seeded and coarsely chopped (if you like, you may roast these and peel them – this adds another layer of flavor, but is not necessary)
2 tablespoons dried basil
1 bay leaf
3 tablespoons “good” chili powder (good chili powder should contain only ground chilies, oregano, cumin, etc. It should not contain any additives, like garlic or onion powder)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 ½ chipotle chilies in adobo sauce
2 tablespoons masa harina (fine corn flour)
2 large cans tomatoes with their juice (crush by hand)
½ cup Guinness stout (or strong freshly brewed coffee, or other liquid of your choice)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. If using dried beans, place them in a bowl, cover with water and soak overnight.

2. Pour the beans and their soaking water into a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 1 hour or until tender. Stir occasionally.

3. Heat the oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until the onions are translucent. Stir in the green peppers, basil, bay leaf, chili powder, cumin and chipotles. Cook for about 1 minute, then add the masa harina and cook for 2 minutes longer. Keep stirring – don’t burn the masa!

4. Add the reserved machaca beef to the pot with the tomatoes and their liquid. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer ,uncovered, for 1 hour or longer. Stir occasionally.

5. Stir in the salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings. Add the Guinness or coffee and simmer, uncovered, for another hour.

6. Add the beans to the chili and simmer, uncovered, for another half hour.

If you like to experiment, you can try blending your own chili powder using dried chilies (I get mine at the health food store), oregano, and cumin, and other spices.

This chili recipe is our entry in January's Chili Cook-Off Challenge hosted on Gloria Chadwick's Foods and Flavors of San Antonio Web site.