If you’re reading this, then you should be the recipient of one or more jars of Holiday Cheer Chili Powder. If not, then you should make some of your own chili powder, then make this recipe. This recipe probably won’t be here near the end of 2009, so be sure to copy it down somewhere if you like it.

Ingredients:

  • 1 ½ lbs. stew meat (beef, pork, and/or lamb), cut into 1″ cubes.
  • 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
  • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ (12-ounce) bottle of beer, preferably a medium ale
  • 8 oz. salsa
  • 15 tortilla chips, Crushed
  • 1 chipotle pepper canned in adobo sauce, chopped
  • 1 ½ teaspoons adobo sauce (from the chipotle peppers in adobo)
  • 1 ½ teaspoons tomato paste
  • ¼ cup (or 1 Holiday Cheer Jar) chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon baking cocoa

Topping:

  • Crème fraiche

    • Directions:

    Toss the meat in half of the vegetable oil to coat. Season liberally with salt. In batches, brown each side in a scorchingly hot dutch oven. Don’t catch anything on fire. Set aside.

    Pour the beer into the dutch oven, turn up to high, and deglaze the pan. Add the other ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer, cover, and cook for 1-1.5 hours.

    Season with salt.

    Top with the crème fraiche.

    (Serves 2)