- Slab bacon (~1 lb)
- Bone-in beef short ribs (~4lb)
- Ground beef (~1 lb, but could have been more
- 1 tube of tomato paste
- ~12 giant dried chilis, the nicest you can find (we used Pasilla de Oaxaca, Guajillo, and Ancho)
- Whole coriander and cumin seeds
- Ground cinnamon
- 1 can of chipotle chilis in adobo
- 1 large bottle chocolate or oatmeal stout
- 32oz beef broth
- 6-7 cloves garlic
- Shallots for days — as much as you have energy to mince
- Canola oil
Start some water boiling. Trim the short ribs of excessive fat.
In a giant dutch oven on medium heat, toast the chilis until they turn just black but before they scorch. You're waking up the flavor. Remove to a metal bowl and cover with boiling water. Cover the boil so they rehydrate (takes ~20 min).
While chilis are rehydrating, toast the cumin and coriander until fragrant. Remove to a mortal and pestle and grind. Add cinnamon. The mixture together should be a blended aroma with no one note dominating.
Dice slab bacon into lardons and brown in the dutch oven. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate covered in a paper towel. Add a little canola oil to the bacon grease so you have a sturdy 0.5" at least on the bottom. Don't worry — we're removing the oil soon. Cover the short ribs in salt and pepper, and brown in batches on all sides. Remove as they are completed, then pour out the oil, then brown the ground beef and remove.
At this point the dutch oven has a film of fat but not a pool of fat. If too much, wipe cleaner with a paper towel. Add the spices and "fry nicely" (Indian Auntie term) for a few minutes. Add the garlic and shallots and fry nicely. Add the tomato paste and fry nicely. Increase the heat, and right before you think it will burn, add the beer and boil off any alcohol while scraping up the brown bits (the "fond").
At this point, your chilis are probably ready. Drain and add to a blender along with the chipotles and a cup or two of beef broth. Blend to puree (takes ~1 min even on a hefty blender). Add to dutch oven and stir to combine. Add remaining beef broth. Bring to boil. Reduce to simmer.
At this point, you can trim the short ribs further, removing any remaining excessive fat and slicing into 2" chunks. Once the sauce is at a simmer, reintroduce all the meat. Salt liberally. Let this simmer low and slow — never boiling — for 4-5 hours. The meat should not get tough. Skim fat and impurities that rise to the top. You want the short ribs shreddy and falling apart. The bones should come up cleanly.
(Note: This was not the effect achieved for the Airbnb cook-off! We were rushed the night before, and the meat did indeed get tough, particularly on reheating the next day! But at home you'll have more success!)
As you taste at first, the chili heat will be too dominant relative to the meat, but as it simmers, it should settle into the pocket. You want the right balance of heat, salt, and fat.
Garnish with more shallots, cilantro, sour cream, maybe some shredded cheddar, and definitely freshly sliced avocado.