The History of Chilli Con Carne

Chilli, or chili in Mexican Spanish, can trace it’s roots all the way back to Aztec times. At this point, stews made with chilli peppers were quite common. Beef did not become the predominant meat of choice until Spanish settlers arrived, bringing cattle from Europe.

Modern chilli originated around the border of Mexico and Texas, and within there most likely in Texas itself. This does not mean that it doesn’t retain it’s Mexican heritage! It it likely came from a Mexican stew of salted, preserved beef (tasajo) served in a sauce made of red chilli peppers. Over time, this made it’s way into the US where cowboys in Texas adapted it to make a stew for the trails. They would pound dried beef, suet, dried chillis, salt and pepper together into bricks to be boiled on the go. This was then introduced to other Americans during the 1893 World Fair in Chicago, and the dish and tradition grew from there!

Modern Chilli and Chilli in the UK

Nowadays, chilli is available in all sorts of forms. It is now commonly made with beans too, mostly kidney beans. It is available in restaurants, home kitchens and even in cans all around the world. This truly shows the impact chilli has had! In the UK, it is a very common meal option served with rice, or even on a baked potato.

I think almost every family will have their own recipe and preferred style of chilli. Maybe you like to use different beans, maybe you like to add corn. As a result, I think it is best not to try and position a chilli recipe as “the best” or “the ultimate” and so on. This somewhat disrespects the history and spread of the dish after all! It’s great to experiment with new and different ways of making it and reinvigorating a classic.

This Recipe

I have made this recipe based around the idea of cooking less tender cuts of meat low and slow. This technique is great for getting the most out of cheaper cuts of meat! I have chosen to use beef shin in this because it is quite easily accessible and cheap. Other alternatives could include beef cheeks, ox tail, short ribs etc. Cooking them will all follow the same sort of principle and yield similar results. This really creates a rich, juicy and tender

I have also used a variety of beans in this recipe. This is a personal choice of mine to introduce some variety, but you can use any type of bean you want!

Finally, this dish is very spice heavy of course. Although it is called chilli, it doesn’t have to be spicy if you cannot handle it. I have made use of whole dried ancho chillis for this, and I think they are absolutely required for the flavour. You can modify the fresh and flaked chillis to your taste to achieve the spice level you want.

As indicated in the picture above, this chilli is fantastic with my Mexican style tomato rice and pickled red onions!

Slow Cooked Beef Shin Chilli

A smoky, spicy and meaty version of chilli. This is a fantastic way to liven up a classic meal option and blow your guests away for a truly special dinner!

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Prep Time 1 hour hr

Cook Time 4 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Total Time 5 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Servings: 6 People

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: American, Mexican

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

Spices

• 3 tbsp Ground Cumin
• 3 tbsp Smoked Paprika
• 2 tbsp Ground Coriander Seeds
• 1 tbsp Dried Thyme
• 1 tbsp Cayenne Pepper
• 2 tsp Chilli Flakes

Whole Ingredients

• 1 kg Beef Shin
• 400 g Crushed Tomatoes
• 2 tbsp Tomato Puree
• 1 large Yellow Onion Diced
• 5 cloves Garlic Minced or grated
• 2 Green Peppers Cut into large pieces
• 2 Jalapeno Peppers Sliced
• 1 can Red Kidney Beans
• 1 can Borlotti Beans
• 500 ml Beef Stock
• 2-3 Dried Whole Ancho Chillis

Method

 

1. Put a large, heavy bottomed pot on medium high heat. Preheat your oven to 140°C.
2. Brown the beef shin pieces on both sides in batches. Trying to do them all at once will release too much liquid and they won't sear. Set aside when browned.
   
3. When all the beef shin is browned and removed, add in the whole anchos. Cook for 30 seconds then add the onion and season with salt and pepper. Cook for a further 3-5 minutes.
   
4. When the onion has started to soften and has lifted the browning from the beef off the pan, add the peppers, jalapenos and garlic.
   
5. Add in the spices and mix thoroughly. Cook for 2-3 minutes until they become fragrant then add the tomato puree. Cook for a further 2-3 minutes until you start to see some oil separate from the puree.
6. Add in the crushed tomatoes and stir well so the vegetables and spices incorporate evenly. Pour in the stock and stir again to mix.
   
7. Add the beef shin pieces back into the pot, ensuring they are all submerged. If there is not enough liquid in the pan, add a bit of water.
   
8. Put the lid on the pot and put it into the oven for 4 hours. Check on it every hour to ensure that the liquid level is still staying above the meat. Add a little more water if needed.
   
9. After 4 hours, the meat should fall apart with a pair of tongs very easily. Shred the beef in the pot and remove the ancho chillis. By this point, most of the chillis will have broken up an mixed in, so it should just be the stems you need to remove.
   
10. Increase the temperature up to 180°C. Add the pot back in and cook for a further 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and give a final check for the taste and consistency. The meat should be delicious and tender, but if there is not enough sauce for your liking then mix in a little bit of water to loosen it.