Short Rib Chili

Chili

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 3 ½ pounds boneless beef short ribs, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 5 teaspoons kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste
• 2 ½ teaspoons black pepper, divided, plus more to taste
• 1 medium-size red onion, finely chopped (about 2 1/4cups)
• 2 jalapeño chiles, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped (about 1/2cup)
• 10 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• ½ cup tomato paste
• ¼ cup ancho chile powder
• 1 to 2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 ½ cups dry red wine
• 1 (28-oz.) can crushed tomatoes
• 3 cups lower-sodium chicken broth

Pickled Red Onion

• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced lengthwise (about 2 1/2cups)
• 1 cup distilled white vinegar
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt

Additional Ingredients

Crumbled queso fresco, for serving

Fresh cilantro leaves, for serving

Make the chili:

1. Heat oil in a large enameled Dutch oven over medium-high. Toss together beef, 4 teaspoons salt, and 2 teaspoons black pepper in a large bowl. Working in 3 batches, add beef to hot oil, and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes per batch. Using a slotted spoon, transfer beef to a medium bowl.
2. Add chopped onion, jalapeños, garlic, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon black pepper to drippings in Dutch oven. Cook over medium, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened and lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, chile powder, chipotles, oregano, cumin, and coriander; cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is fragrant and vegetables are evenly coated, 1 to 2 minutes. Add wine; cook, scraping up browned bits from bottom of Dutch oven, until liquid is slightly reduced, about 2 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes and broth; bring mixture to a simmer over medium-high. Stir in beef and any juices in bowl. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until beef is very tender, 2 hours and 30 minutes to 3 hours, uncovering during final 30 minutes of cook time. Season with additional salt and black pepper to taste.
3. Make the pickled red onion:
4. While chili cooks, place sliced red onion in a medium-size heatproof bowl; set aside. Combine vinegar, 1 cup water, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high, stirring often to dissolve sugar. Pour hot vinegar mixture over onion, pressing onion pieces with a spoon to keep submerged. Let stand at room temperature 10 minutes. Cover and chill at least 1 hour or up to 3 days.
5. Serve chili topped with queso fresco, cilantro, and drained pickled onion.