Carne con Chile (Sonoran Red Chile Beef)
Carne con Chile is a Sonoran comfort classic featuring tender chunks of beef simmered in a rich, smoky red chile sauce made from guajillo and ancho chiles. Slow-cooked to perfection, it’s the kind of dish that brings people together and tastes even better with warm flour tortillas and a cold drink. Whether you're feeding a crowd or craving something bold and hearty, this northern Mexican staple delivers every time.
Ingredients
- For the meat:
- 2 lbs beef chuck roast or short ribs cut into large chunks
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp lard or vegetable oil
- ½ white onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- For the chile sauce:
- 4 dried guajillo chiles stemmed and seeded
- 2 dried ancho chiles stemmed and seeded
- 1 roma tomato chopped
- ¼ white onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ¼ tsp ground cloves optional
- 1 ½ cups beef broth or water
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Toast the chiles: Heat a dry skillet over medium. Toast the guajillo and ancho chiles for 30–60 seconds per side until fragrant, but not burned. Transfer to a bowl and cover with hot water. Soak for 15 minutes.
- Blend the sauce: Drain the softened chiles and add to a blender with the roma tomato, onion, garlic, cumin, cloves, and 1 cup of the beef broth. Blend until completely smooth.
- Sear the beef: In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat lard or oil over medium-high. Season beef chunks with salt and pepper. Sear in batches until browned on all sides. Remove and set aside.
- Build the base: In the same pot, sauté diced onion until soft. Add minced garlic and cook 30 seconds more.
- Add the sauce: Pour the chile sauce into the pot and cook for 3–5 minutes until it darkens slightly and thickens. Add remaining ½ cup broth and stir.
- Simmer the beef: Return beef to the pot, stir to coat, cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 1.5 to 2 hours, until beef is tender and sauce is rich. Add more broth if needed.
- Serve hot: Dish it up with warm flour tortillas, beans, and maybe a fresh salsa on the side.