October is National Chili Month - Steak Chili Recipe

Steak Chili Recipe with Coffee and Dark Chocolate

October is one of our favorite month's of the year. It's harvest time and the cooler air makes the GrillJunkie team dream of comfort foods and memorable times with friends and family. As food lovers we are in our glory during October due to the fact that the month is filled with food festivals across the country while also hosting several national food holidays including cookie, apple, dessert, pretzel, and two of our favorites...pizza and chili!

We tackled grilled pizza in a recent blog, now we set our taste buds on chili. There's nothing quite like the aroma, texture and taste of a great bowl of heart and soul warming chili!

A bit of history. Chili is believed to have originated in Mexico and literally translates to “chili pepper” in Spanish. However, it didn't take very long at all long for the U.S. to adapt this versatile and irresistible new dish. American settlers combined dried beef, suet, dried peppers, and salt and then boiled it in pots along the trail.

Chili quickly gained popularity through the U.S and restaurants started branding their unique blends of meat, spices and herbs as their own “secret recipe.” This is what makes chili so unique. Chili's inherent quality of individual customization is what makes it wildly popular for food competitions, festivals and enjoyment at home.

While there are thousands of variations, one of our favorite chili recipes includes hearty steak, spicy jalapeños, chipotle and two extra special ingredients...coffee and dark chocolate. 

Chocolate gives the chili additional depth of flavor while Coffee is the perfect ingredient to round out the dish and add some depth. In fact the bitterness of coffee will help bring out the sweetness of the meat.

Steak Chili Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb. sirloin steak, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
• 2 Tbsp. cooking oil
• 6 cloves garlic minced
• 1 Vidalia or sweet white onion, diced
• 2 jalapeños minced (or for a smokier flavor, you can substitute with chipotle peppers)
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 2 cans (15 oz or 200 mg each) crushed or diced tomatoes
• 1 cup of beer, pilsner or lager
• 2 Tbsp. chile powder
• 1 teaspoon ancho chile powder (if available, otherwise use an additional teaspoon red chile powder)
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons cider vinegar or lime juice
• 3 cups of  cooked kidney beans or other beans of your choice (canned beans work just fine)
• 2 oz. (55mg) dark chocolate with chili (we prefer Lindt Excellence Chili Dark Chocolate Bar
• 1/2 cup coffee (traditional dark roast or house blend, avoid flavored coffees)
• Grated cheese of your choice (we prefer sharp cheddar)
• Fresh sour cream (optional)
• Sea salt and freshly ground peppercorns

Directions

1. Salt and pepper the 3/4" cubes of steak. Bring a grill or heavy pan to high heat, oil the pan with cooking oil and then quickly sear the sirloin meat approximately 1-2 minutes, making sure to give it time to get some good caramelized color.
2. Move the steak to one side of the pan and sauté the onions and jalapeños (or chipotle) for 1-2 minutes, followed by garlic. Be sure not to burn the garlic.
3. De-glaze the pan with the wine and let it cook down for about a minute, then mix in your tomatoes, beans and the two chili powders. Sprinkle in the basil, cumin, paprika and brown sugar.
4. Add the beer at this point, enough to make the mix soupy and cover most of the ingredients. Add the cider vinegar or lime juice. If there is not enough liquid covering everything at this point, add some fresh, clean water. Do not add more beer.
5. Simmer for at least two hours. This gives the steak a chance to break down and evolve into scrumptious, melt-in-your-mouth pieces. Sample the meat as you get near the two hour mark to check for tenderness.
6. When the meat is tender, add the coffee, chocolate, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for a few minutes to blend the flavors, then serve.
7. Top individual servings with grated cheddar and sour cream if desired.
8. Now ladle yourself a big bowl, admire the creamy beans, robust chunks of steak and deep red concoction you've just created. Notice the depth of intense and elegant flavors, and lingering tastes that the coffee and dark chili chocolate add to this dish.
9. Last step, enjoy.

Steak Sauce Recipe That Even Texans Purists Would Love

WARNING: This blog post could get us in trouble with most Texans, as serving steak sauce with steak is not only against the Texas State Constitution, but it could get someone jailed, or worse!

You see, as one of our GrillJunkie founders explains, 

"Steak, in Texas, is served with nothing but salt and pepper, a.k.a. S and P.  And it is only grilled long enough to make it appear cooked, rather than rare. We Texans take our steak VERY SERIOUSLY, in steak-land.  Tell someone you ate your steak with steak sauce and you're in danger.  It’s just not done that way in Texas."

With utmost respect to all Texans, we have 3 excuses to continue writing and share our steak sauce recipe! 

1. We love steak sauce.  

2. Four of us were raised in raised in New Mexico.  And old habits die hard.

3. It's fun and easy to make...and it is delicious!

This Homemade Steak Sauce is heartier and sweeter than the acidic steak sauces that come in the bottles from the grocery store.  And we like it that way.  It’s thick and hearty, and it’s the perfect companion for a nice, medium-rare hunk of irresistible meat.  But, don’t take our word for it.  Make some for yourself!  It’s easy to make and is ready in mere minutes!

Homemade Steak Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups ketchup
• 2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 Tbsp. molasses
• 2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp. garlic salt
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 8 shakes of hot sauce
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl until well-combined. Allow flavors to meld for at least an hour before serving.

This Homemade Steak Sauce can be stored in the refrigerator in a sealed jar for up to a month. But believe us…it won’t last a month. This Homemade Steak Sauce is worth going against the accepted “law” of steak-land. You’ll throw the steak purists out of your way to get to this simple sauce! Just be respectful. We're all Americans and we're all in this together.

Grilled Steak with Spicy Peppercorn Oil

Grilled New York Strip Steak with Peppercorn Garlic Oil


For those with a love for the unique combination of peppercorn, garlic and olive oil, these steaks are for you as they are coated in a thick garlic spread that gives them a delicious flavor. Serve with grilled vegetable kebabs and life will seem so much nicer!

  

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 New York strips
• 1 head of garlic – roasted if desired
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 teaspoons of freshly cracked peppercorns

PREPARATION:

  

Grasp the top of the garlic head and squeeze out the cloves. Combine garlic, peppercorns and oil and mix well. Spread the mixture over the steaks and grill for about 7-11 minutes or to your liking. To really get a unique flavor from the peppercorns we recommend using a variety of colors, like white, green and rose.

 

 Enjoy!

 

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