Beef Chuck in New Mexico Chile Sauce

Introduction

Nine dried New Mexico chiles give this beef chuck a brick-red sauce with mild heat and a clear chile flavor. The meat simmers for 3 hours until tender, and the flour dredge helps the sauce pick up body as it cooks. You can serve it as a main dish for dinner and count on leftovers reheating well.

Recipe Details

• Prep Time: 45 minutes
• Cook Time: 3 hours 25 minutes
• Total Time: 4 hours 10 minutes
• Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 9 New Mexico dry chiles, washed, with stems and seeds removed
• 3 cups water
• 5 pounds boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed of fat
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cups beef stock or water

Instructions

1. Place chiles and 3 cups water into a medium stockpot, and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and steep for 30 minutes to soften. Strain into a bowl, reserving the cooking liquid.
2. Place the chiles and some of the liquid into a blender, and purée until smooth. Add more liquid as necessary to form a smooth sauce. Pass sauce through a fine mesh strainer to remove any seeds and the tough skins; set aside.
3. Cut the beef into 1-2-inch chunks. In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt, and pepper. Dredge the beef chunks in the seasoned flour; set aside.
4. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté onion until tender and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add beef chunks a few at a time, so as not to overcrowd the pot, and cook until evenly brown. Remove cooked meat, and continue browning remaining meat.
5. Return reserved cooked meat to the pot. Stir in pureed chile mixture. Add beef stock to just cover beef chunks, or to personal preference. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
6. Reduce heat to lowest setting, and simmer for 3 hours, or until meat is tender. If necessary, adjust with more stock during cooking.

Variations

• Replace the New Mexico dry chiles with guajillo chiles for a slightly fruitier sauce with similar mild-to-medium heat.
• Use water instead of beef stock if you want a lighter, cleaner chile flavor and a less savory finish.
• Swap the yellow onion for white onion for a sharper edge that cuts through the long-simmered beef.
• Replace the all-purpose flour with 3 tablespoons cornstarch for a gluten-free version; the sauce will be a little silkier and slightly less opaque.

Tips for Success

• Blend the softened chiles with enough reserved cooking liquid to keep the blender moving; a too-thick paste is harder to strain smooth.
• Brown the beef chunks in batches as written so they sear instead of steaming.
• Add the beef stock or water only until the meat is just covered if you want a thicker stew-like result.
• After the 3-hour simmer, the beef should give easily when pressed with a fork; if it still feels tight, keep cooking and add a little more liquid as needed.

Storage and Reheating

Let the beef cool, then transfer it to airtight containers with enough sauce to keep the meat covered. Refrigerate for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Reheat on the stovetop over low heat, covered, until hot all the way through, adding a splash of water or stock if the sauce has tightened too much. For single portions, microwave in a covered container in 1-minute intervals, stirring between rounds.

FAQ

Do you have to strain the chile sauce?

Yes. Straining removes the tough skins and stray seeds, which gives you a smoother sauce and a cleaner texture.

Can you make this a day ahead?

Yes. The flavor settles and the sauce thickens slightly after a night in the fridge, so it reheats well for the next day.

Can you use water instead of beef stock?

Yes. The dish will still work, but the sauce will taste a little lighter and less savory.

How do you make it without flour?