Beer Braised Short Rib Chili

1. Preheat oven to 325 F.

2. Heat olive oil in a large oven-safe pot over medium-high heat until oil shimmers.

3. Season the short ribs with salt and pepper. Be generous—you want the seasoning to help create a nice crust on the meat! Add short ribs to the hot oil and sear for 3-4 minutes on each side, until a nice brown crust has formed. Remove seared short ribs to a separate plate and set aside, leaving the oil and drippings in the pot over medium heat.

4. Add garlic and onion to oil and sauté for 2-3 minutes until onions are translucent. Add salt and pepper to taste, then add chili powder and stir.

5. Add balsamic vinegar to onion mixture and stir to combine.

6. Add beer into the pot to deglaze it. Scrape any browned bits off the bottom and stir to incorporate all ingredients.

7. Add crushed tomatoes and stir to incorporate. Remove pot from heat.

8. Add seared short ribs to pot. Nestle each short rib piece into the sauce and give them a little room to breathe. Cover pot and place in a 325 F oven for 3-5 hours.

9. When at least 3 hours have passed, remove pot from oven. Use tongs or two forks to pull apart short ribs—they should be practically falling apart in the braising liquid, so they should be easy to shred.

10. Place pot over a burner on low heat. Add white and black beans into the chili and stir to combine. Bring chili to a simmer and cook for 15-25 minutes until beans have warmed through. Taste chili and add seasoning as necessary. If you want to make it a little spicier, you can always add more chili powder in addition to salt and pepper.

11. Ladle chili into bowls. Top with a dollop of Greek yogurt, a handful of shredded cheese and a few pinches of cilantro. Serve immediately.

Notes:
1. A dark stout added great depth of flavor to this chili, but you could use any type of beer you’d like! Use a lighter pilsner if you’re not big on the beer taste, or go for a hoppy IPA to mix it up a bit.
2. I used white and black beans because that’s what I had on hand. Feel free to substitute kidney beans or even sweet corn depending on what you have in your pantry!