- 1 kg beef (whole roast)
- 1 kg red paprikas (bell peppers)
- 4 - 5 white onions
- 0 - 5 tomatoes
- 3 - 5 garlic cloves (minced)
- 3 - 10 chili peppers (assorted, whole)
- 4 beef bouillon (cubes)
- 4 - 10 tbsp cumin (ground)
- 2 - 10 tbsp ground paprika
- 0 - 4 tbsp thyme (optional)
- 0 - 2 tbsp caraway seeds (optional)
- 0 - 2 tbsp fennel seeds (optional)
- 0 - 1 tbsp star anis (optional)
- 0 - 4 tsp cinnamon (optional)
- 0 - 0.2 L coffee (optional)
- 0 - 100 g dark chocolate (optional)
- 0 - 200 ml whiskey or cognac (optional)
Rehydrate dehydrated chilis in warm water for 30 minutes, if needed.
Decide on your spices. Chili accepts a huge range, but don't use them all in a single batch.
Roughly chop paprikas and onions into medium-large chunks. They will mostly dissolve as the chili simmers, so they can really be quite big.
Roughly chop beef into 3-5cm wide cubes.
Mince or press garlic.
Mince or finely chop chili peppers.
Grind or crush any seeds or anis pods.
In a (very) large pot, sautée onions on medium heat for 10 minutes.
Increase to medium-high heat and add beef. Brown on all sides, about 5 minutes.
Add garlic, chilis, and paprika powder. Sautée another minute.
Add red paprikas (bell peppers) and tomatoes.
Add bouillon cubes and all other spices. Large or unground spices can be held in a tea ball.
Add liquor, coffee, and any other liquids, if using.
At this point, it should look like a large salad with beef chunks. This is expected. The vegetables will break down and liquify over the coming hours. It takes a while. Using a ratio of 1:1 beef to paprikas gives a good consistency.
Simmer on low heat for at least 4 hours, ideally 6 hours. Stir every 20-30 minutes.
If necessary -- which it should not be -- add water or beef broth to thin.
Salt and pepper to taste, and serve alone or over rice, or with tortilla chips.
Optionally top with crème fraîche, yoghurt, or sour cream.