Name: Southern-style slow cooker beef chilli with cornbread topping
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 2kg boneless British beef short rib, shin or cheek, cut into 6cm chunks; 2 tbsp salt; 2 tbsp dark brown muscovado sugar; 2 tbsp smoked paprika; 1 tbsp ground cumin; 1 tsp dried oregano; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; 2 medium red onions, finely sliced; 8 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed with a knife; 3 tbsp chipotle chilli paste (see Tips); 3 tbsp tomato purée; Small bunch coriander, stalks finely chopped, leaves reserved to serve; 400g tin chopped tomatoes; 250ml strong black coffee; 2 tbsp polenta (or use masa harina if you can find it; optional if cooking in the oven); For the cornbread topping; 500ml buttermilk; 225g polenta; 160g plain flour; 130g grated cheddar; ½ bunch finely chopped coriander; 1½ tbsp baking powder; Slow cooker or flameproof casserole

Ingredients

Cook modeKeeps your screen awake while you cook — free for everyone.

Method

Put the beef in a large bowl and toss with the salt, sugar, paprika, cumin, oregano and cinnamon until the meat is well coated in the spice mix (see Tips).

Put the beef in the bowl of a slow cooker along with the rest of the chilli ingredients, except for the polenta. Give everything a good stir. Put the lid on and cook on high for 4-5 hours, or low for 7-8 hours, until the meat is tender. Roughly shred the meat and add the 2 tbsp polenta, giving the pot a good stir.

Meanwhile make the cornbread batter. In a large bowl, combine the buttermilk, polenta, plain flour, grated cheddar, coriander, baking powder and a large pinch of salt. Mix well, then set the batter aside to soak for 10 minutes. Dollop the dumpling mix on top of the chilli. Cover and cook for 45 minutes on high or 75 minutes on low.

Serve the chilli with extra coriander, sour cream and lime accompanied with rice or beans, if you like.

Quick wins, tips & make ahead

Batch cook : Cool the chilli completely, then decant into lidded, freezerproof container(s). Leftovers will keep in a lidded container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. Or freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight, then reheat in a pan on the hob until piping hot. The base chilli can also be used to make:

Chilli beef & bean puffs (Serves 4) Heat the oven to 200°C fan/gas 7. Halve 2 x 320g puff pastry sheets widthways to give 4 rough squares. Mix 1⁄2 batch beef chilli with a drained 400g tin of black beans. Top one half of each pastry square with 1⁄4 of the chilli bean mixture, brush the pastry edges with beaten egg, then fold the pastry over and crimp the edges to seal. Brush the tops with more beaten egg and pierce with a knife to let steam escape while baking. Arrange the puffs on a baking tray and bake for 30-35 minutes until puffed and golden.

Chilli cheese fries (Serves 4) Heat the oven to 180°C fan/gas 6. Spread 600g frozen oven french fries over 1-2 baking trays (don’t crowd them). Bake for 20 minutes until crisp. Toss the fries with 1 tsp garlic granules, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1⁄2 tsp smoked paprika, 1⁄4 tsp chilli powder and a pinch of salt, then arrange over 1 tray. Top with 1⁄2 batch beef chilli, sprinkle with 150g grated cheddar, then bake for 15 minutes until the cheese is golden and the chilli is hot. Serve with soured cream, spring onions and pickled jalapeño chillies.

Next time : Make your own chilli paste. Try a mix of 6-8 dried guajillo, ancho and chipotle chillies (you can find them online at coolchile.co.uk, ocado.co.uk, or souschef.co.uk and in some larger supermarkets or spice shops). Remove the stems and seeds from the chillies, lightly toast in a dry pan for 1-2 minutes each side over high heat, then cover in the hot coffee and set aside to soak for 1 hour. Whizz to a smooth paste and proceed with the recipe as stated.

Flavour boost : Liberally salt the meat on all sides a few hours before cooking the chilli to season the meat deeply. Also, browning the meat well on all sides before adding to the slow cooker will give more flavour to the final dish. Don’t forget to deglaze the pan too.

Rate & review

1 comment

Matilda Moore says:

September 25, 2023 at 9:00 pm

This recipe is everything you want for a slow cooker, really easy to put together but rich and filling by the end. The beef is fall apart tender by the end and the cornbread topping is light, creamy and fresh from the coriander. It works so well against the richness of the chilli. Definitely take the time to brown the meat first as it really adds another dimension to the flavour. The recipe is also really easy to scale down.

Reply