Short Rib & Pumpkin Chili
An ideal chili for fall's cooler weather (and it stays true to its one-pot claim). It's smoky, but each ingredient still shines through—and it's stick-too-your-ribs hearty.At first glance, this thing looks daunting. But once you've assembled the ingredients, it really is pretty straightforward. I've taken more than a few liberties on traditional chili. I've used inspirations from a Bon Appétit squash chili recipe, a Washington Post lamb chili recipe, and a Food Lab (Serious Eats) recipe. The short ribs give a heartiness that you just won't get from ground beef or even stew meat. I prefer bone-in ribs, as boneless meat won't give the chili the same complexity and texture. I like the hints of mole using the chocolate, and the background notes of coffee.
Servings: 8
Ingredients
Spice blend
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano preferably Mexican
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon hot Spanish pimentón (or other hot, smoked paprika)
Meat & aromatics
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 5 pounds short ribs (bone-in, or 3 pounds boneless)
- 1 large sweet onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
Flavor bombs
- 1/4 cup gochujang (Korean chili paste)*
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon Maggi seasoning or 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 12- ounce bottles oatmeal stout beer
- 1/2 cup espresso or strong coffee
- 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate or 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon masa harina or cornmeal, mixed into 1/2 cup hot water
- 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
Final additions
- 1 15.5-ounce can black beans
- 3 cups pumpkin (more or less), peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes; can substitute butternut squash
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- salt
- black pepper freshly ground
Optional toppings
- hot sauce
- jalapeño rings
- sour cream
- Mexican creme
- shredded cheese
- chopped cilantro
Instructions
Prep
- Combine the chili powder, ground coriander, ground cumin, dried oregano, dried thyme, and pimentón (smoked paprika) in a small bowl.
- Season the ribs with salt and pepper.
- Preheat oven to 400° F.
Brown the meat
- Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
- Working in batches as needed, brown the ribs, transferring them to a platter as they are done.
Cook the aromatics & add the umami magic
- Add the onions to the oil, stirring to coat and scraping the pan to release any browned bits from the searing.
- Cook for about 4 minutes, until lightly browned, then add the garlic; cook for about 30 seconds, then stir in the gochujang, tomato paste, soy sauce, Maggi seasoning, and the chili powder-spice mixture.
- Cook for about 1 minute, then stir in 1 1/2 bottles of the beer into the chili; drink the other half of the second bottle. (A total of 16 to 18 ounces of beer should end up in the chili.)
- Add the coffee, chocolate, masa harina, and tomatoes.
Braise the ribs
- Add the seared ribs and cook, stirring a few times, until the mixture reaches a brisk simmer.
- Transfer the covered pot to the oven and cook for 3 1/2 hours or until the meat is tender and falling apart.
Add the final additions and finish cooking
- Stir pumpkin, black beans, and brown sugar into the chili.
- Continue cooking until the pumpkin is tender, about 30 minutes.
Shred the meat
- Remove from the oven. Remove the ribs from the pan and allow to cool enough to handle.
- Remove meat from ribs (if using bone-in ribs). The meat should be fall-apart tender.
- Using two forks, coarsely shred the meat and return to the chili.
Adjust seasonings and serve
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Spoon chili into bowls and garnish as desired.
Notes
- In place of gochujang, you can use another Asian chili paste, or use the peppers from a can of chipotles en adobo: Finely chop 2 of the chipotles and mix together with 1 tablespoon of the adobo sauce. It’s a totally different flavor profile but more common to find.