Chile Braised Beef,
New Mexican Style
4 to 5 mild chiles such as
New Mexico, pasilla or California
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
4 ripe tomates, diced
1 small to medium bunch
fresh cilantro, chopped
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 fresh bay leaves
1 1/2 teaspoon cumin
salt to taste
2-3 lbs. beef such as
chuck or other cut
suitable for braising
1 cup beef broth
1 cup beer
Lightly toast the chile over an
open flame then place them in a
bowl.
Add hot water and cover and
allow to soak for at least
one hour.
Remove from the water,
discard the seeds, stems
and either puree the chiles
with some of the liquid
then strain away the touch bits
if fiber, or scrape the flesh
from the chiles.
Discard the skin and reserve
the flesh or pureed chile
mixture.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place half of the remaining
peppers, vegetables, seasonings,
and spices in the bottom of a
baking pan, along with half the
covered chile mixture.
Top with meat, then top with
the other half of the
ingredients.
Add the broth and beer.
Cover tightly with foil.
Bake 2-3 hours or until the
beef is very tender,
adding more liquid if needed
to keep the meat from burning.
Remove the foil and bake for
a further 30 minutes
increasing the heat if necessary
to brown and crisp the top.
Serve hot, wrapped in soft flour
tortillas with diced avacado,
salsa and sour cream on side.
