A warm, comforting chilli is the ultimate family meal. This dish is great for all seasons and has a mix of sweet (cascabel) and smoky (ancho) chillis to give it depth
Prep:30 mins
Serves 6 – 8
80ml olive oil2 large onions, roughly chopped2 large dried ancho chillies (buy from Waitrose or ocado.com)3 dried cascabel chillies (buy from Waitrose or ocado.com)2 tsp smoked paprika2 tsp dried thyme3 celery sticks, finely chopped1 beef stock cube1.5kg beef shin, boneless and cut into large chunks1 tbsp plain flour3 carrots, trimmed, left whole50ml maple syrup1can chopped tomatoes500ml bottle dark beer500ml fresh beef stockfresh coriander sprigs, to serve
STEP 1Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/ gas 3. Heat a large cast-iron pot or saucepan over a high flame, pour in the oil, then drop in the onions, chillies, paprika and thyme. Cook for 5 mins until the onions soften. Add the celery, give it a stir and crumble in the stock cube. Stir again and cook for another 5 minsSTEP 2Add the beef, stir well, then colour for a few mins to coat the meat with the spices. Add the flour and coat everything with a more few stirs, then add the remaining ingredients, along with 1 tsp salt.STEP 3Let it come to the boil, then put a lid on, place in the oven, reduce the temperature to 140C/120C fan/ gas 1 and cook for 4 1 /2 hrs.STEP 4Take the pot out of the oven and remove the carrots, chop them into small chunks, then put them back in. I like plenty of sauce, but you may want to remove some if you don’t want it too saucy – be sure to keep it, it’s great on toast when cold. Remember to remove the chillies before you serve. Finally, scatter with coriander, if you like
