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Hollywood-Style Chili

During the golden age of Hollywood, Chasen’s restaurant hosted all manner of stars, from the Rat Pack to Alfred Hitchcock. When the restaurant closed in 1995, few recipes were more sadly mourned than its famous Hollywood-Style Chili. Chasen’s original recipe started with a combination of beef chuck roast and pork butt. Because we lacked the special large-holed meat grinder employed at Chasen’s, we opted for store-bought ground beef and coarsely chopped blade chops instead. Using canned beans, tomato sauce, and crushed tomatoes helped streamline the process, while chipotle chiles in adobo sauce added depth and heat.
Servings: 9
Author: America's Test Kitchen

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds bone-in pork blade chops about 1 ½ inches thick
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • salt to taste
  • pepper to taste
  • 4 tablespoons ghee or unsalted butter
  • 2 pounds 85 percent lean ground chuck
  • 3 red bell peppers seeded and chopped fine
  • 2 onions chopped fine
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • ¼ cup chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon minced canned chipotle chilis in adobo sauce
  • 1 29-ounce can tomato sauce
  • 2 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes
  • 1 cup water
  • 3 16-ounce cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed or one each of pinto, black, and kidney beans

Instructions

  • Mix 2 tablespoons of water and ¾ teaspoon of baking soda in a medium bowl.
  • Add the ground beef and gently break apart with your hands to distribute, but do not over knead (causes toughness).L
  • Let sit for 15 to 20 minutes.

Brown the Meat:

  • Pat the pork dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
  • Melt 1 tablespoon ghee (or butter) in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
  • Add the pork and cook until well browned on all sides, about 5 minutes per side.
  • Transfer the pork to a plate.
  • Add the beef to the pot and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Drain the beef and set aside.

Cook the Vegetables:

  • Return the Dutch oven to medium heat and melt remaining ghee (or butter).
  • Add the peppers and onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
  • Stir in the garlic, chili powder, and cumin and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Simmer the Chili:

  • Stir in the Chipotle chile and adobo sauce, tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, and water and bring to boil.
  • Return the pork and beef to the pot, along with any accumulated juices.
  • Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until the pork is tender, about 1 hour.

Add the Beans:

  • Transfer the pork to a cutting board.
  • When cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones, -discarding fat, and chop coarsely.
  • Use a wide spoon to skim any fat from surface of the chili.
  • Stir the chopped pork and pinto beans into the pot, return to a simmer, and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.
  • Season with salt and pepper.
  • Serve with shredded cheddar cheese. (Chili can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)