Sous Vide Chili Colorado

Chili Colorado is a traditional Mexican dish of beef or pork stewed in a bold, rich sauce made from dried chiles and spices. Some recipes call for using pre-ground chili spices, but it’s well worth the effort to track down high-quality whole dried chiles, which provide a far deeper, smokier finished flavor. For this recipe, we used well-marbled pork shoulder, but beef chuck (or even beef short ribs) would work just as well. We’ve made this dish in a Dutch oven, and the result is good, though the meat was somehow both tender and a bit dry. Thanks to the even cooking of the Anova Sous Vide Precision Cooker, the pork here is perfectly moist and tender in every bite, with a sauce just as good, if not better. Serve warm with fresh corn or flour tortillas, pickled red onion, cilantro, avocado, limes, and a side of rice. If you like a little extra heat, serve with slices of fresh jalapeño.

Author

Jeff Akin

Founder of Feed Me Creative, a culinary content studio in Kansas City, MO. For more information, visit www.feedmecreative.com or find us on Instagram @feedmecreative.

Prep Time: 00:45

Recipe Time: 12:00

Temperature : 160F / 71.1C

Ingredients

• 2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 quart chicken stock
• 4 dried whole ancho chiles
• 2 dried whole guajillo chiles
• 2 dried whole pasilla chiles
• 5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 medium yellow onion, large dice
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 bay leaves
• Kosher salt

Directions

1. Set Anova Sous Vide Precision Cooker to 160°F (74°C).
2. In a large sauce pan, bring the chicken stock to a boil. Remove from the heat and add dried chiles, oregano, and bay leaves. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes.
3. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Season pork liberally with salt and sear until golden brown. Work in batches to prevent overcrowding the pan. Set aside pork and accumulated cooking juices.
4. In the same pan, add onions, garlic, and cumin. Saute over medium-high heat until golden brown and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and deglaze with vinegar, scraping bottom of pan to loosen any remaining pieces.
5. Remove the chiles from the chicken stock, discard the stems, and add to blender. Strain the chicken stock and add to blender with onion-garlic mixture and honey. Season with salt and puree until smooth.
6. Strain the sauce to remove any remaining seeds. Add sauce, and pork to a large Ziplock or vacuum bag. Seal the bag and place in the water bath. Set the timer for 12 hours.

Add title (e.g. “Finishing Steps - Stovetop”, “Finishing Steps - Grill”)

1. Remove the pork from the bag and set aside. Pour the cooking liquid into a large sauce pan and simmer over medium-high until reduced by half, about 10 minutes.
2. Add the pork to the sauce, simmer for one minute, and serve.