This was so good. I didn't have adobo chili though. I used the chili spice.
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup snipped fresh cilantro
- 1 cup dry red beans or dry kidney beans
- 2 pound boneless beef chuck cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 large onion coarsely chopped
- 1 14-oz. can beef broth
- 1 or 2 chipotle chile peppers in adobo sauce finely chopped, plus 2 tsp. adobo sauce
- 2 teaspoon dried oregano crushed
- 1 14 1/2-oz. can diced tomatoes with mild chilies
- 1 15-oz. can tomato sauce
- 1 medium red sweet pepper chopped
- Carbohydrate 3.90177399970081 g
- Cholesterol 99.7903214 mg
- Fat 27.942069375424 g
- Fiber 1.02487332362386 g
- Protein 29.6441209168796 g
- Saturated Fat 11.0757265066229 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (198g)
- Sodium 193.054006465535 mg
- Sugar 2.87690067607696 g
- Trans Fat 3.62472485881677 g
- Calories 392 calories
Step-by-step
- Rinse the beans. Place the beans in a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Add enough water to cover. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand for 1 hour.
- In a large skillet heat the oil over medium-high heat. Cook half of the beef and the onion over medium-high heat until mixture is lightly browned. Transfer to a 3 1/2- or 4-quart crockery cooker. Repeat with remaining beef. Add the broth, chipotle peppers and adobo sauce, oregano, cumin, salt, undrained tomatoes, and tomato sauce to the cooker; stir to combine. Drain and rinse the beans and stir into cooker.
- Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 10 to 12 hours or on high-heat setting for 5 to 6 hours. Spoon into mugs or bowls. Top with cilantro and sweet pepper. Makes 6 servings.
- Conventional Method: Prepare beans as above in Step 1 except use a 4- to 5-quart Dutch oven. Drain and rinse beans; set aside. Brown the beef and onion as in Step 2 except use the Dutch oven. Return all meat to pan. Add the broth, chipotle peppers and adobo sauce, oregano, cumin, salt, undrained tomatoes, tomato sauce, and beans. Stir to combine. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until meat and beans are tender. Serve as directed above.
Can dried beans really withstand the long, acidic simmer of a tomato-heavy braise without staying perpetually hard? When starting with dry red or kidney beans, a hot-soak method—bringing them to a boil for ten minutes followed by a one-hour rest—rehydrates the seed coat evenly before the cooking acid hits them. Dry beans resist collapsing into mush better than canned varieties, retaining a firm interior bite even after hours in a slow cooker. Browning the chuck roast in batches ensures actual searing rather than steaming, which builds the necessary fond for the broth.
Balancing fresh produce against canned and dried ingredients shifts the flavor profile significantly. Fresh onions and sweet red peppers contribute crisp cell walls that soften during cooking, releasing natural sugars into the liquid. Conversely, chipotle peppers in adobo and dried oregano supply concentrated, smoky heat that permeates the dense muscle fibers of the beef chuck. Fresh cilantro sprinkled at the end adds volatile herbal compounds that heat destroys if added too early.
Fresh Versus Preserved Elements
Balancing fresh produce against canned and dried ingredients shifts the flavor profile significantly. Fresh onions and sweet red peppers contribute crisp cell walls that soften during cooking, releasing natural sugars into the liquid. Conversely, chipotle peppers in adobo and dried oregano supply concentrated, smoky heat that permeates the dense muscle fibers of the beef chuck. Fresh cilantro sprinkled at the end adds volatile herbal compounds that heat destroys if added too early.
- If the beef remains tough past the standard cooking window, extend the simmer by thirty-minute increments until the collagen fully converts to gelatin.
- Should the sauce thicken too quickly before the beans are tender, add warm beef broth or water one-quarter cup at a time.
- Test doneness by pressing a bean against the side of the pot with a spoon; it should yield completely with no resistance or chalky center.
