Harvest Beef Chili

I couldn't resist making a second recipe from The Beekman Heirloom cookbook and this one pairs particularly well with the Pumpkin Cheese Bread.  Here is a simple, hearty beef chili with the fall addition of fresh pumpkin.  Any squash will do.  I usually wing it when I make chili, rarely following a recipe and I usually use ground meat.  This version uses stew beef and cooks slowly in the oven.  It came out really tender and with a nice balance of spices.  This has virtually no heat, however, so if you are looking for some heat, I would suggest adding some cayenne or a jalapeno.  Rather than Texas Chili, I would call this the perfect New England chili and a great recipe as the days finally get a little cooler.  With such great experience with these two recipes, I definitely consider The Beekman cookbook a "keeper" and will try to come back to it on a regular basis.

Harvest Beef Chili,  The Beekman Heirloom Cookbook
(printable recipes)
Like most stews, this recipe tastes even better the next day.  I followed the recipe except for that I added some dark beer as part of the cooking liquid.  A nice addition.

Ingredients
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 1/4 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1 inch chunks
1/4 cup of flour
1 large onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch chunks
3 garlic cloves, smashed
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon ancho chile powder
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 1/4 pounds pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cut into 1 inch chunks
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups cooked pinto beans or 1 can (15 ounces), rinsed

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a 5 or 6 quart dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat.
3. Dredge the meat in the flour and brown in two batches, browning on all sides. This should take about 7 minutes per batch.  Transfer the meat to a bowl.
4. Add the onion, red bell pepper, and garlic to the pan and stir to coat.  Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
5. Add 1/4 cup of water and cook about 7 minutes more, until the onions are tender.
6. Stir in the spices, the cocoa powder and the chili powder and stir to distribute.
7. Return the meat to the pan, stir to coat the meat in the spices and veggies.
8. Add the tomato paste, pumpkin and salt and add either 1 1/2 cups of water or 1 bottle of dark or medium beer.
9. Bring to a boil, cover and transfer to the oven to cook.
10. Bake for about 1 1/2 hours or until the meet is tender.