Shredded Beef Chili With Sweet Potatoes

By Leite's Culinaria

Ingredients

2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves)
1 teaspoon ground cayenne (to taste)
1 3/4 pounds chuck roast or blade steak
2 onions (peeled and sliced about 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves (peeled and minced or grated)
Three (14- to 15-ounce) cans chopped tomatoes
8 1/2 ounces water
2 cups beer (preferably an ale or stout)
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
3 small sweet potatoes (peeled)
One (14- to 15-ounce) can kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
2 bell peppers (seeded and sliced into strips)
Sour cream
Chopped cilantro
Lime wedges
Soft tortillas, tortilla chips, rice, or quinoa

Prep Time25mins
Cook Time215mins
Servings8

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 300°F (160°C).

In a small bowl, mix together the sugar, salt, cloves, cinnamon, paprika, cumin, oregano, thyme, and cayenne. Rub all over the beef, reserving at least 1 tablespoon spice mixture to add to the chili later.

In a large ovenproof pan with a lid, like a Dutch oven, sauté the onions in the oil over medium heat until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, then stir in the tomatoes, water, beer, and vinegar.

Add the beef to the pan, cover with the lid, place in the oven, and cook for 2 hours.

Cut the peeled sweet potatoes into roughly 1-inch (2 1/2-centimeter) chunks. Uncover the pan and add the sweet potatoes, beans, peppers, and remaining spice mixture. Cover with the lid again and return to the oven until the beef is falling apart tender. Check for doneness after 1 to 1 1/2 hours and, if it doesn't shred easily with a fork, simply cover and keep braising, low and slow, until it does. If you're using a particularly tough cut, it could take as long as 3 1/2 hours. But there's no rush.

Transfer the chunk of beef to a cutting board and shred the meat using a couple forks. If a less soupy consistency is desired, purée about 1 cup of the vegetables and liquid in a blender or with an immersion blender and then stir it back into the chili. Stir the shredded beef into the chili and serve with sour cream, cilantro, lime wedges and rice, quinoa, or tortilla chips.