Turn up the heat with the Devils Texas Chili made with Devils River Rye Whiskey.

Ingredients:

• 8 dried guajillo chiles
• 1 ½ t. cumin
• 4 T. vegetable oil
• 2 ½-3 lbs. boneless beef chuck (trim off large pieces of fat and cut into 1-inch cubes)
• ½ c. yellow onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 c. beef broth
• 1 ½ c. water
• ½ c. Devils River Rye Whiskey
• 2 T. masa harina
• 1 T. brown sugar
• 1 T. distilled white vinegar

Directions:

• Place the dried chiles in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-low heat and toast until fragrant, 2-3 minutes per side.
• Place the chiles in a bowl and submerge with hot water, allowing them to soak until soft, about 45 minutes.
• Drain the chiles, remove the stems, and cut in half to remove the seeds.
• Add the chiles, cumin, and a teaspoon each of black pepper and salt to the bowl of a blender. Puree, adding a bit of water as needed until a smooth, slightly fluid paste is formed. Make sure there aren’t any large bits of chile skin left, and then set aside.
• Heat 2 T. of the vegetable oil in the pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches, brown the chunks of beef on two sides (about 3 minutes per side). Transfer the browned meat to a bowl and repeat until all the beef has been prepped, adding more oil as needed to keep the beef from sticking to the pot.
• Turn the heat down to medium-low and allow the pot to cool down slightly. Add 1 T. of the vegetable oil, then add the onion and garlic and cook until softened and fragrant, 3-4 minutes.
• Pour in the broth, water, and rye whiskey, scraping the bottom of the pot to loosen up any browned bits. Slowly whisk in the masa harina to keep clumps from forming. Then stir in the chile paste.
• Add the beef and any of its juices back to the pot and bring to a simmer over high heat.
• Reduce the heat to low/medium-low—you just want the slightest simmer—and cook for 2-2 ½ hours, stirring occasionally.
• Once the chili has thickened and reduced to about 2 cups of liquid, stir in the brown sugar, vinegar, and salt to taste. Simmer another 15-20 minutes.
• Turn off the heat and let the chili stand in the pot for another 30 minutes or so, during which time the meat will continue to soak up some of the remaining sauce.
• When you’re ready to eat, reheat the chili, add your favorite toppings, and enjoy!

*This recipe is adapted from Lobel’s Meat Bible.  

Created in partnership with The Whimsical Cook.