For a hearty beef and vegetable chili greater than the sum of its parts, we started with well-marbled, inexpensive beef chuck-eye for its ability to become meltingly tender. We browned it for rich flavor and then stewed it until it was fork-tender. An aromatic base of garlic, cumin, chipotle, and chili powder gave our stew depth and some heat. The heat balanced out the sweetness of the potatoes and bell pepper, and mild beer added further complexity. We added some sweet potatoes in the beginning, knowing that
they would break down to thicken our stew, and stirred in the beans with the tomatoes so that they cooked enough to absorb flavor but not so much that they fell apart. Once the meat was tender, we added the rest of the potatoes and bell pepper, cooking them until tender but firm. Serve with lime wedges, sliced avocado, cilantro leaves, sour cream, and shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese.
Ingredients
- 3½ pounds boneless beef chuck-eye roast, pulled apart at seams, trimmed, and cut into 1-inch pieces
- Salt and pepper
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1½ pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1½ cups mild-flavored lager, such as Budweiser
- 2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed
- 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into ½-inch pieces
- 4 scallions, sliced thin
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Pat beef dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add half of beef and brown on all sides, 6 to 8 minutes; transfer to large bowl. Repeat with 1 tablespoon oil and remaining beef.
- Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to now-empty pot and heat until shimmering. Add onion and ¾ cup sweet potatoes and cook until just beginning to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic, cumin, chipotle, chili powder, and 1 teaspoon salt and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and their juice, beer, beans, and browned beef and any accumulated juices, scraping up any browned bits.
- Bring chili to simmer. Cover, transfer pot to oven, and cook, stirring occasionally, until sweet potatoes are broken down and beef is just tender, about 1 hour 40 minutes.
- Stir in remaining sweet potatoes and bell pepper and continue to cook until meat and sweet potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Remove pot from oven, uncover, and let chili stand until thickened slightly, about 15 minutes.
- Season with salt to taste. Serve, sprinkling individual portions with scallions.