Uncle John's Chili Mac

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Uncle John's Chili Mac is an incredibly hearty comfort food dish that'll spice up any night of the week!

Prep Time30

Cook Time2 30

Total Time3

Course: Main Dish, Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Cheese, Chili, Comfort Food, Pasta

Servings: servings

Calories: 691kcal

Author: Uncle John

Ingredients

1/2 cup vegetable oil, divided
2 lbs. beef stew meat, cut into bite-sized chunks
2 lbs. ground beef
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 jalapenos, seeds and ribs removed and finely chopped
3 chopped chipotle peppers in adobo, plue 3 tablespoons of the adobo sauce
6 Tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 heaping Tbsp. dried Mexican oregano, crushed a bit between your fingers
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 bottle Negro Modelo beer
2 28-oz. cans diced tomatoes, with their juice
6 cups low-sodium beef stock
1 lb. elbow macaroni
shredded cheddar, finely diced red onion, sour cream, scallions and finely chopped parsley, for garnish, if desired

Instructions

In a very large Dutch oven, heat 1/4 cup vegetable oil over medium-high heat.
Season the stew meat well with salt and pepper, then sear it in the oil. When well seared, about 7-10 minutes, remove the meat from the pot using a slotted spoon. Discard the oil and any rendered fat from the pot. (Appropriate time to treat yourself to half a lager according to Uncle John!)
In the same pot, heat another 1/4 cup of vegetable oil, over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and jalapenos, and season with salt and pepper. Stir to coat the veggies with the oil. Cover with a lid. Let the vegetables sweat and release much of their liquid, 7-10 minutes. (Now it's time to drink the other half of your lager.)
Remove the lid and let the liquid evaporate mostly, then add the ground beef and brown until no longer pink. Add the chili powder, cumin and oregano. Stir until well combined. Cook for 2 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for another 1 minute. Add the chopped chipotle and adobo sauce.
Add the stew meat back to the pot with any accumulated juices. Add the Negro Modelo to deglaze. Let the liquid come to a boil and cook for a few minutes to cook off the alcohol. (Time for another lager for yourself!)
When the Negro Modelo has reduced a bit, add the two cans of tomatoes with their juices and 6 cups of beef stock. Bring to a boil, then cover the pot with the lid, leaving a small space for the steam to release. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 2-2 1/2 hours, stirring every 20-30 minutes, until the stew meat is tender.
While the chili simmers, it would be the perfect time for another lager for yourself!
At the 2 hour mark, or when the stew meat is tender, give the chili a stir and add more beef stock if needed (up to 2 cups. I didn't need to add any more than the initial 6 cups). Cover completely with the lid and turn off the heat. Adjust seasoning, if needed.
Boil salted water for elbow macaroni. Cook the pasta six minutes to partially cook, because it will finish in the chili. When pasta is done, drain and add to the chili, stirring to combine. Let the pot sit, covered, for 5-10 minutes. Ladle into bowls, top with desired garnishes.
Cook's Note: You can substitute two glasses of wine for the three lagers you consume during the making of this dish. Lol!

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