Jorge's Chile Tucson

One of my favorite Mexican dishes is Chile Colorado--chunks of tender beef in a deep, red chile sauce. Since returning to Tucson, I have tried several versions of this fabulous dish from numerous restaurants in town. From deconstructing the most flavorful varieties, I have developed this recipe which holds true to the roots of this dish. This is not what people would consider "spicy," however, you can moderate the heat based on the number of chile seeds from guajillo chili pods you include in the dish. This recipe embraces the Sonoran cooking ingredients available locally and relies heavily on the thicking and deep chile taste from dried Santa Cruz red chiles. I have tried several different methods of cooking this dish and have found that low-and-slow is the best method which is why I strongly recommend using a crock pot. Yum!

Ingredients

• 2 pounds of stew beef 
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 3 cups beef broth (recommend the Better Than Bouillon paste)
• 1/2 cup mild Santa Cruz red chile powder 
• 1 1/2 tsp. chopped garlic
• 1 tbl. whole cumin seeds
• 3 whole Guajillo chile pods
• 4 whole cloves
• 1 tbl. chimichurri spice 
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Using kitchen scissors, cut the stems off the chile pods and open the pods by cutting lengthwise. Remove the seeds. Leave a few if you want some spice to the dish.
2. Cut the chile pods into 1/2 inch strips and heat, with the cumin seeds, in pan over medium heat to release the flavors about two minutes.
3. Combine all ingredients in the crock pot and cook on low temperature for about six to seven hours.
4. Serve with flour tortillas and topped with shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream.

Serves four to six.