Hearty Blade Steak and Three-Chile Chili

1. Preheat Oven and Brine Beans

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees to get it ready for the chili later on. In a Dutch oven, combine 3 tablespoons of salt with 4 quarts of water and the pinto beans. Bring this mixture to a boil, then remove it from the heat and cover. Let it stand for about an hour.

2. Toast and Prepare Chiles

While the beans are brining, toast the ancho chiles in a skillet over medium heat until they become fragrant and slightly darkened, which should take about 4 to 6 minutes. Then, transfer the chiles to a food processor and let them cool for a moment. Add the de árbol chiles, cornmeal, oregano, cumin, cocoa, and ½ teaspoon salt to the food processor. Grind everything to a fine powder, then pour in ½ cup of chicken broth to form a smooth, thick paste.

3. Chop Onions and Jalapeños

Next, pulse the onions in the food processor until they are finely chopped. Add the jalapeños and pulse a few more times until the mixture resembles a chunky salsa.

4. Cook Onion Mixture

In the now-empty Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the onion and jalapeño mixture and cook until the onions have softened. Stir in the minced garlic, the chile paste you made earlier, the diced tomatoes with their juice, and the molasses. Pour in the remaining 2 cups of chicken broth and the drained beans, then bring everything to a simmer.

5. Brown Beef

While the onion mixture is cooking, heat another tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Pat the blade steak pieces dry with paper towels and season them with 1 teaspoon of salt. Brown half of the beef in the skillet, making sure to get a good sear on each piece. Transfer the browned beef to the Dutch oven.

6. Deglaze and Combine

Deglaze the skillet with half of the beer, scraping up any flavorful bits from the bottom, and then pour this into the Dutch oven. Repeat the browning and deglazing process with the remaining beef and beer.

7. Cook Chili

Cover the Dutch oven with its lid and transfer it to the preheated oven. Let it cook until the meat is tender, which will take about 1½ to 2 hours. Once done, let the chili stand for about 10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Stir the chili, season with salt to taste, and serve with your favorite condiments.