Chili Colorado | Chili Con Carne

Chili Colorado made with beef cheek meat, served with steamed white rice, green onions and Cilantro.

Mexican Beef Chili

Most Texans believe they have the best chili in the world and they’re not wrong but there are some other Beef Chili recipes out there that have become an American Staple on Mexican Food. This Chili Colorado or Chili Con Carne, as it’s known in Tex Mex, is a great example. It’s origins, however, derive their flavor from the Chili Colorado, which means, ” Red Chili”; hence the name.

Stainless Steel bowl with a dozen Guajillo Chili’s.

The Chili Sauce Peppers

The very essence of this recipe comes from the flavor of the Chili Peppers that are cooked down and blended together, with a few other ingredients. Being that this recipe is called, “Chili Colorado” it would be assumed that the Colorado Chili should be used and, technically, that’s true but there are a few others that can be used that are practically the same thing.

California and Guajillo Chilis can be used as well. The only main difference is that they technically belong to different pepper families, though, all portraying that beautiful burgundy hugh that gives this recipe it’s rich color and flavor.

Though, 3/4 of the dried peppers I use in this recipe are red chili’s, it’s quite common to add a few dried Pasilla pods as well. These peppers are much darker and look and smell like a cross between a pepper and a prune. All of which are de-seeded and have the stems removed, before cooking.

40 oz of red chili sauce in a large container and spoonful of sauce.
2.75 lbs of cubed and seasoned beef cheek meat in a large stainless steel bowl.

The Beef you should use

In this recipe I’m using Beef Cheek Meat, which takes a lot longer to tenderize when it’s cooking. In fact, unlike how I demonstrate in the video tutorial, it took me 6 hours of braising to get this meat to break down the connective tissue and become tender enough to eat. Big but here, though, the flavor Cabasa or “Cheek Meat” gives off is stronger, like lamb or venison. If you have either of those available, for a good price, I recommend using those instead. Otherwise, for this recipe, stick with a couple of lbs of Beef Chuck.

Chili Colorado/Chili Con Carne, in a large pot, ready to be served.
How to make Chili Colorado video tutorial by PoorMansGourmet.
How to make Red Chili Sauce video tutorial by PoorMansGourmet.
Chili Colorado Ingredients:

4 to 5 lbs Beef Chuck, cut into 1″ to 2″ inch pieces

Guajillo or Chili Sauce

12 Guajillo Chili pods, stemmed and de-seeded
3 Pasilla Chili pods, stemmed and de-seeded
3 qt. Water
5 Cloves Garlic
1/4 cup Knorr Chicken Bouillon
1 tbsp Cumin, ground
1 tbsp Mexican Oregano, dried
Adobe All Purpose seasoning to taste (1/4 to 1/2 tsp)

Meat and Seasoning

Beef, Pork or Chicken

Kosher Salt and Pepper, evenly sprinkle
1 tbsp Smoked Paprika, evenly sprinkle (optional)
1 tbsp Ground Cumin, evenly sprinkle (optional)

Sear seasoned meat ,10 to 12 minutes, under Broiler or in a pan or on a Grill. Then Braise in Guajillo Sauce 1 1/2, lid on, another 1/2 hour, lid off to reduce sauce, if needed. Otherwise, keep the lid on. 2 hours full cook time.

This is great, served with steamed rice or in tacos and burritos.

Top 5 Slow Cooker Recipes

This will very soon become your families favorite meal too!

My Favorite PMGK Slow Cooker Meal

The slow cooker is a busy parents best friend. I know if I wasn’t married, to the most amazing cook out there, that I would be using mine all the time. While Mr. PMGK was working on this top 5 list, I told him that this Chicken and Gravy recipe was my favorite of the 5. I told him I wished that he would make it more often. His response was, you know the recipe(as I shook my head and gave him the look). Everyone knows by now, I do not cook and why would I? I have him!

Slow Cooker Roast Beef always reminds me of Sunday dinners

Slow Cooker Dinners Made Easy

I can recognize the smell of Roast Beef in the crock pot anywhere. To this day the smell makes my mouth water. Very often growing up I’d wake up to the yummy smell Sunday mornings. If I was lucky I could pull a taste from the pot without someone noticing but with caution. If my mom caught me, it’d be a slap on the hand for sure. When you grow up in a home with 13 children, one crock pot full of meat is hardly enough to go around.

There is nothing little about these “lil smokies”!

Slow cooker recipes make Big Flavor meals

These lit’l smokies are so amazing! They have so much flavor. What I like best about them is that you can throw them in the crock pot and forget about them. Before you now it they’re done. They are my favorite to prepare when I have people over or when we’re making a meal that is going to take a while. No one is ever waiting around hungry for dinner if we make these to snack on while they wait.

Chili no beans

Slow Cooker Chili no Beans

Don’t get me wrong this recipe is great but when I hear the word chili followed by the word no beans, my first thought is, “no beans?” When I think chili, I think beans! I’m Hispanic and we most definitely love our beans. However, Chili no beans are so good for so many things. They are my absolute favorite on chili cheese dogs. If you make a crock pot full of these for a party it will be gone before you now it. My husbands first intention, when he created this recipe, was to use this as a filling for fast food style tacos and burritos.

Kalua Pork Fries are a PMGK classic that I just can’t get enough of!
Slow Cooker Kalua Pork

Kalua is Hawaiian for barbecue and it’s traditionally cooked slow and low buried in the ground. Today’s technology, however, has changed drastically and allows us to use appliances like an oven or a Slow Cooker. PMGK makes Kalua Pork both ways. Either way it turns out perfect and so tender! There are benefits to cooking this dish either way. If we don’t want leftovers, we make it in the crock pot and just use a small butt roast instead of a full shoulder. If we want left overs, there are a lot of pulled pork style recipes that whole pork shoulder is good for. For example: My absolute favorite Kalua Pork recipe is our classic Kalua Pork Fries. If you haven’t tried them yet you are truly missing out but it doesn’t end there. My husband has posted Kalua Pork Burritos, Tamales and another recipe to cook the whole shoulder roast in the oven.

The top 5 best Slow Cooker Meals ever!
Are you excited to use your Slow Cooker yet?

If I haven’t gotten you excited about trying these recipes or at least using your crock pot a little more then I don’t know what will! What are you waiting for? Watch the new video above and let’s get started making dinner a whole lot easier and so much more delicious!

Barbacoa – How to make Chipotle style Barbacoa

barbacoa-taco-main-pic

I Love Barbacoa

In my opinion, Barbacoa is especially delicious and this recipe is no exception.  I’ve studied and sampled various recipes over the years and I believe what I’m offering you today is, as always, geared towards the best of the best.  It’s meaty with a medium to a hot kick you can control, with plenty of seasoning and spice.  And this particular dish will turn your entire home into what smells like an authentic professional restaurant.

barbacoa-main-pic

How to make Barbacoa the Best

You’re going to find that the bulk of this Barbacoa recipe is cooked with a 4 lbs Beef Chuck, just to keep it simple.  But you can take this a step further by adding Oxtails, Cheek Meat or pork spare and baby back ribs to up the gaminess; which I highly recommend but it’s not required.  You’ll still turn out some amazing Barbacoa following this easy recipe.  You’re also going to need my Homemade Enchilada Sauce to complete this recipe but I’ve added the ingredients to the list below as well as the link to the originally post if you need it.

For more fun recipe ideas and authentic Mexican food check out these recipes:
Chipotle Chicken for Tacos and Burritos, Street Tacos, Mexican Corn on the Cob.

Barbacoa Ingredients:

4 lbs Beef Chuck, Salt and Peppered
You can also add Oxtails, Cheek Meat or Spareribs meat for a more Gamy taste.

Combine in Blender
1 small onion
6 Garlic Cloves, peeled
2 Chipotle Chili’s in Adobo Sauce
2 tbsp Adobo Sauce
1 1/2 tbsp Cumin
1 tbsp Turmeric
1/2 tsp Ground Cloves
1 tbsp Oregano, dried
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 cup Red Enchilada Sauce, PMGK Recipe Only

1 Lime, squeezed
Kosher Salt and Pepper to taste
Chop Fresh Cilantro and Onion for topping

Red Enchilada Sauce Ingredients(Click Here for original Post with Video Recipe)
12 Large Dehydrated Chili’s, seeded
1 qt Chicken Broth, approximately
1/2 tsp Cumin
1/2 tsp Onion Powder
1/4 tsp Salt, adjust to taste
2 garlic Cloves

Bake Barbacoa for 4 hours at 275 degrees Fahrenheit and serve in Tacos, Burritos, Tortas or on a plate with rice.