Beer Braised Short Rib Chili

The play-off games are over and we have all been dealing with the news frenzy over deflated balls.  And no matter what side of the controversy you stand on, Super Bowl XLIX is coming, so it's time to start planning that game day menu.  For me, nothing says football food like beer and chili, and when you combine the two together, the result is A-MAZING!  So without further ado, I give you my Beer Braised Short Rib Chili.   I can't wait to show you how I make it so let's get started!

Beer Braised Short Rib Chili:
*Prep Time:  20 min.  *Cook Time:  3 hours *Difficulty:  Easy  *Servings: 8-10

Ingredients:

• 3-4 lb. of Beef Short Ribs
• 1 quart (4 c.) Tomato Juice
• 2 bottles of Beer
• 1 28 oz. can of Diced tomatoes
• 1 15 oz. can of Black Beans
• 1 15 oz. can of Red Kidney Beans
• 1 Onion, large dice
• 1 Green Onion, large dice
• 1 tbsp. Garlic, minced
• 1 tsp.  Chipotle Chili Powder 
• 1 tsp. Onion Powder
• 1 tsp. Garlic Powder
• 1 tbsp. Cumin Powder
• 1/2 tsp. Smoked Paprika
• 1/4 c. Honey
• 2 Bay Leaves
• Salt & Pepper
• 2-3 tbsp. Oil

Here's the thing, there is a quick chili, and there is a slow cooking chili.  This is NOT a quick chili, but be patient.  Good things come to those who wait.  If you are concerned about having time to make it on the day of the big game keep in mind that chili ALWAYS tastes better the next day.  You can definitely make this ahead of time!  

To begin, place your soup pot over a medium/high heat and add the oil.

While the pot is heating up you will want to pat the short ribs dry.
This will ensure a nice, beautiful sear.

Liberally season the short ribs with salt and pepper.

Once the pan is nice and hot, place the ribs into the pan and sear on ALL sides for about 2 minutes per side.  You will not want to crowd your pan so you will need to do this in batches.

They should look a little something like this.

While you are browning your short ribs you can also chop your onion, green pepper, and garlic.

When you have finished your short ribs remove them from the pan and set them to the side, on a plate.

Now add the green pepper and onion to the pan and let cook 2-3 minutes until they are tender.
You will notice that I did a large dice on these.  That is because this is a very hearty chili.  No bitty bites in this pot!

After the green pepper and onion have become tender, you can add the garlic.
Allow it to cook until you can smell it coming from the pan.

Season with a little salt (I always cook with kosher) and...

Pepper.

 Then you can add your spices.
First the thyme.

Then the chipotle chili powder.
If you do not have chipotle chili powder, regular chili powder will work just fine.

Cumin

The smoked paprika.
Again, if you do not have smoked paprika, regular paprika will work.

Onion Powder

 And garlic powder.

Give it a stir so that the vegetables are coated with the spices.

Next, deglaze the pan with the beers.
You can use any beer here you like.  The darker the better, but this is what I had on hand at the time.

Also, if you do not want to use beer in this, you can most certainly use beef stock.  It will be equally delicious!

Throw in the bay leaves.

And return the short ribs to the pan.

Oh, and be sure to add those juices leftover on the plate to the pot.
That is just total flavor right there!

Bring the beer to a low simmer and cover your pot.
Cook for 1 hour, but be sure to check every 10 to 15 minutes to ensure your pot does not dry out.

After an hour, you will add the tomato juice and diced tomatoes to the pot.

To balance out the spice and heat in this dish you will need to add the honey.

Bring it back to a low simmer and you are going to allow this to cook for two more hours.
Again, you will want to check on this from time to time & make sure the pot does not dry out.

After two hours, you will have this luscious, thick, chili sauce that is out of this world!  YUM!

Now you will need to remove the short rib from the pot and place on the plate from earlier.

Drain the beans and rinse them.

And then you can add those to the chili sauce.

Using two forks, you will need to shred the short ribs, but don't worry.  They are so tender they practically fall a part all by themselves!

Add the shredded beef to the chili sauce.

And there you have it!  As soon as the beans are heated through, you are ready to eat!

This Beer Braised Short Rib Chili is beefy, hearty, slightly spicy, and robust!  EVERYTHING you want your game day chili to be so this year give this chili recipe a try for your Super Bowl Party.  I guarantee you'll be getting TOUCHDOWNS across the board from your friends and family!

And as always...

Happy Reading, Happy Eating, and Happy Living,
~The Kitchen Wife~