Beef

crowdsource Community Insights

Most people who made this hit the same three things: adding beans usually made the final dish worse, and the ones who did add beans often wished they hadn’t. Separately, cooks who drained and discarded the bean liquid regretted that, keeping the bean juice helped when beans were included. And people who let the pot simmer longer, rather than rushing it, consistently liked the results more. So the shared experience: beans are a risky choice here; if you do use them, keeping their liquid helped, and giving the chili extra time to cook paid off.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Reliable Results: It turns out well consistently, with few reported problems.
• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

We couldn't confidently pull the full ingredient list and instructions from this video yet — watch it above for the complete recipe.

crowdsource Community Insights

This version comes out darker and with a touch more depth when people stir in a little brewed coffee or a pinch of cacao while it simmers; they found it improves color and adds a subtle savory note rather than an overt coffee taste. Most people also made the whole thing in one pot, browning the onions and beef together instead of shifting the meat to another pan, that kept cleanup simpler and helped the flavors come together. What trips people up is the beans: those who added them noticed a different texture and flavor, so if you want what the recipe intends, skip the beans.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Easy To Customize: Home cooks often adapt it to what they have without issue.
• Reliable Results: It turns out well consistently, with few reported problems.
• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

grocery Ingredients

Chili

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 lb (907g) ground beef
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 3 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 tsp salt
• 28 oz (794g) crushed tomatoes
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
• 15 1/2 oz (439g) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• Hot sauce

Toppings

• Cheddar, shredded
• Sour cream
• Scallion, chopped
• Tomato, chopped
• Cilantro, chopped
• Tortilla chips
• Wood chips, to taste

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 teaspoon oil (optional if beef is fatty).
2. Add around 2 pounds ground beef, break it up, let it sit until browned on one side, flip and let brown on the other side; break up as needed to brown the meat.
3. Coat the bottom of a chili pot with a little olive oil and heat over medium; add the diced onion and sauté until it just starts to brown.
4. Add the chopped garlic during the last couple of minutes of sautéing the onion.
5. Spoon the browned beef into the pot with the onions and garlic, add 1 teaspoon salt, and break the beef up a little more.
6. Add the can (28 ounce / 790 gram) crushed tomatoes to the pot.
7. Stir in 2 tablespoons chili powder and 1 tablespoon cumin.
8. Add beef broth, starting with 1 cup (the recipe states 1 to 1.5 cups; adjust as necessary) to create a thinner consistency.
9. Cover the pot and let it simmer on low.
10. Open and drain and rinse the can (15.5 ounce / 439 gram) kidney beans, then add the beans to the pot.
11. Add 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar.
12. Simmer covered on low for another 30 minutes to 1 hour.
13. Adjust heat and add hot sauce or additional spice as desired.
14. Serve with optional toppings such as shredded cheddar, sour cream, scallion, chopped tomato, cilantro, tortilla chips, or wood chips.

crowdsource Community Insights

This sauce benefits from a couple of small timing choices that people who made this swore by. Most people who made it added a splash of milk at the end, just off the heat, because it softens and rounds the sauce without watering it down. Folks who picked their pasta carefully liked tagliatelle or pappardelle; the rougher surface grabs the sauce better than smoother noodles. And a heads-up: people who threw in a bay leaf (or any herbs) usually found it muddied the flavor, so skipping herbs is the common fix.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Reliable Results: It turns out well consistently, with few reported problems.
• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

grocery Ingredients

Sofrito

• Carrots, chopped
• Celery, chopped
• Onion, chopped

Herbs & Oil

• Rosemary, chopped
• Olive oil

Meat & Dairy

• Beef
• Lamb
• Full fat milk

Liquids & Canned

• Wine
• Beef stock
• Tomato paste
• Tinned tomatoes

Pasta & Finish

• Fettuccine (or fresh fettuccine, dry fettuccine)
• Salt, to taste
• Parmigiano-Reggiano (or Pecorino)

book_ribbon Instructions

Sauce

1. Chop the carrots, celery, and onion to make the sofrito.
2. Chop the rosemary.
3. Heat a pan over the heat, add olive oil, then add the chopped rosemary to the oil and let it start to sizzle.
4. Add the sofrito to the pan and soften the vegetables gently; do not let them brown or burn.
5. Add the beef and lamb to the pan and break the meat up with a wooden spoon.
6. When the meat starts to color, pour in the full fat milk.
7. Cook the milk with the meat until the milk is completely evaporated.
8. Add the wine and bubble it for about 2 or 3 minutes.
9. Add beef stock, tomato paste, and tinned (canned) tomatoes to the pan.
10. Let the sauce simmer for 2 hours.

Pasta and Finish

1. Bring salted boiling water and place the fettuccine into it; cook the pasta for about 3 minutes.
2. Do not drain the pasta; transfer the cooked fettuccine directly into the sauce and toss so each strand is coated.
3. Serve a generous portion of pasta on a plate and top with Parmigiano-Reggiano (you can use Pecorino instead).

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Easy To Customize: Home cooks often adapt it to what they have without issue.
• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

grocery Ingredients

• 1 brown onion, finely diced
• 1 red capsicum, thinly diced
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1kg beef mince
• Salt, to taste
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tbsp ground paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp tomato paste, heaped
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup beef stock
• 1 can kidney beans

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Slice the brown onion in half and finely dice it.
2. Slice the red capsicum down the middle, remove the stem, and thinly dice it.
3. Heat a pot over medium heat.
4. Add 3 tablespoons olive oil to the pot, then add the diced onion and capsicum.
5. Add 3 crushed garlic cloves and cook, stirring, until the onion and capsicum soften.
6. Add 1 kilogram beef mince to the pot and break it up as you add it so it cooks quicker.
7. Season the mince with a pinch of salt and about 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.
8. Cook the mince until it is all browned.
9. Add 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1/2 tablespoon ground paprika, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, and 1 tablespoon tomato paste; mix to combine, then lower the heat to low–medium.
10. Add 1 can (400 g) diced tomatoes, 1 cup beef stock, and 1 can (400 g) red kidney beans; give a good mix.
11. If using dried kidney beans, cook them beforehand; do not add raw dried beans.
12. Put the lid on the pot and let the chili simmer for about 10–15 minutes.
13. After about a 20 minute mark the chili is nicely cooked and ready to serve; serve on its own or with rice, pasta, chips, salad, or on corn chips for nachos.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Easy To Customize: Home cooks often adapt it to what they have without issue.
• Reliable Results: It turns out well consistently, with few reported problems.
• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

grocery Ingredients

• 1/4 lb (113g) fatty ground beef blend, formed into loose balls
• Mayonnaise
• Cholula hot sauce
• Worcestershire sauce
• Salt, to taste
• 1/2 slice American cheese (or any kind of cheese)
• Hamburger buns
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Onion, raw
• Pickles
• Colman's mustard

book_ribbon Instructions

1. If grinding your own meat, chill cut meat in the freezer for about 30 to 45 minutes before grinding.
2. Grind the beef starting with a larger grind plate, then switch to a smaller grind plate to finish the grind.
3. Weigh out patties as quarter-pound balls; for double-smash burgers use two quarter-pound patties (0.5 pound total) stacked.
4. Form the ground beef into loose balls; do not compact them tightly.
5. Mix the sauce: combine mayonnaise with a little Cholula hot sauce and a little Worcestershire sauce.
6. Preheat a heavy-bottomed, metal-utensil-safe pan (HexClad or cast iron) until very hot.
7. Brush the cut sides of the buns with mayonnaise, place them cut-side down in the hot pan, and press down so the bun toasts evenly; remove when toasted.
8. Place a beef ball in the hot pan, then use a large spatula or burger press to smash it flat into the pan.
9. Salt the smashed patty immediately after smashing.
10. Leave the patty undisturbed for about two minutes; flip when you see crust forming around the outer edges.
11. After flipping, add American cheese on top of the patty, grind a little fresh black pepper onto the cheese, then cover with a lid and let steam for 20 to 30 seconds until the cheese is melted.
12. Between batches wipe out excess grease from the pan with a paper towel (be careful of the heat) so the next patties can sear properly.
13. Repeat placing, smashing, salting, flipping, cheesing, and steaming for remaining patties.
14. Assemble the burger: spread the prepared mayonnaise/Cholula/Worcestershire sauce on the bun, place pickles and a little Colman's mustard on the bottom bun as desired, stack the double cheeseburger patties on the bun, add raw onion if desired, and top with the toasted top bun.

grocery Ingredients

Bolognese sauce

• Beef mince, about 10% fat
• Italian sausages
• Pancetta, diced (or smoked pancetta, unsmoked pancetta)
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• White wine (or red wine)
• Whole milk, full fat
• Carrot, finely chopped
• Onion, finely chopped
• Celery, finely chopped
• Parmesan rind
• Garlic, chopped
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• Bay leaves
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• Dried porcini mushrooms, dried, crumbled (or sliced mushrooms, finely chopped mushrooms)
• Tomato purée
• Sugar, to taste
• Red wine vinegar
• Thai fish sauce (or anchovies, omit)
• 4 tin canned tomatoes
• Salt, a little pinch

Pasta and finishing

• 400g spaghetti
• Parmesan
• Basil, fresh

book_ribbon Instructions

Bolognese sauce

1. Preheat the oven to 140C (120C fan).
2. Warm a frying pan over medium heat and add about 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil.
3. Crumble the beef mince into the pan and cook over a gentle sizzle, letting released liquid reduce; stir occasionally and continue until the mince is deeply browned and speckled, about 25 minutes.
4. Split the Italian sausages, remove the casings, crumble them into the pan, and cook until browned and toasted in the pan fat.
5. Warm an ovenproof pan and add about 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, then add the diced pancetta and cook gently until the fat renders and the pancetta is crispy, about 5 minutes.
6. Add the finely chopped carrot, onion, and celery all at once to the pancetta and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are very soft and just starting to brown, about 10 minutes.
7. Add the bay leaves, the small sprig of fresh thyme, and a good tablespoon of dried oregano, then add the chopped garlic and the crumbled dried porcini mushrooms (optional).
8. Cook the vegetables and herbs together until super soft, about 10 minutes.
9. Add sugar and stir until dissolved into the vegetables.
10. Add the tomato purée and toast it in the pan for a minute or two to remove the raw tomato taste.
11. Add the red wine vinegar and the fish sauce and let them sizzle down for about a minute.
12. Return the browned meats to the pan with the vegetables.
13. Rinse each tin of canned tomatoes with some white wine: pour wine into the first tin, loosen the tomato residue and pour into the second tin, repeat through all tins, then add the tins and all tomato and wine juices to the sauce.
14. Stir in the whole milk, a little pinch of salt, the Parmesan rind and the basil stalks (or loose basil); bring the sauce up to a simmer, cover with a lid, and place in the preheated oven.
15. Braise in the oven at 140C (120C fan) for about 3 hours, checking every hour to ensure the sauce is not catching on the bottom or reducing too quickly.
16. After about 3 hours, remove the bay leaves, thyme sprig, and Parmesan rind and give the sauce a final stir; the sauce can be chilled for 3–4 days or frozen.

Pasta and finishing

1. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil; do not add oil to the water.
2. Add the spaghetti (about 400 gram) and stir frequently for the first 2–3 minutes; cook for 9 minutes total, then taste to check it has some bite.
3. Reserve half of the finished ragu for freezing or chilling and leave the rest in the pan.
4. Transfer the drained spaghetti directly into the ragu using tongs and finish cooking over low heat, tossing and cooking for 2–3 minutes so the pasta absorbs the sauce and the starchy water integrates.
5. With the heat off, add Parmesan and a splash of extra virgin olive oil, stir to combine, then add the fresh basil and give a final stir before serving.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Easy To Customize: Home cooks often adapt it to what they have without issue.
• Reliable Results: It turns out well consistently, with few reported problems.

grocery Ingredients

• Celery, finely chopped
• Carrots, finely chopped
• Onion, finely chopped
• Garlic
• Olive oil
• Ground beef
• Oregano
• Salt, to taste
• Basil, fresh (or dried basil)
• Chopped tomatoes
• Crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup water
• Sugar, to taste

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Chop the celery, carrots, and onion finely (you can use a food processor; this takes about two minutes).
2. Heat the olive oil in a pot over medium heat.
3. Add the chopped celery, carrots, onion, and a little garlic; sauté over medium heat until the vegetables are tender and slightly caramelized, about 7 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Add the ground beef and break it up with a spoon, then add oregano, salt, and fresh basil (use dried basil if you don't have fresh).
5. Add the chopped tomatoes and the crushed tomatoes and stir. Pour one cup of water (used to rinse the can) into the pot and stir.
6. Bring the sauce to a boil, then lower the heat to low, cover with a lid, and simmer for 2 to 2.5 hours, stirring about every 30 minutes.
7. When the sauce is deeply red and thick and the tomatoes have broken down, taste and adjust seasoning; add salt or a pinch of sugar if needed.
8. Serve by mixing the sauce with pasta. The sauce can also be used in pasta bakes or lasagna, or frozen for later.

crowdsource Community Insights

This lasagna benefits most from patience and a little care. People who let the ragu simmer gently on low-medium heat for longer than about 1.5 hours ended up with a richer, more cohesive sauce; faster cooks often found it thinner and less developed. Frying garlic early tended to make the sauce bitter, while cooks who softened it gently or added it later avoided that. And watch your pans: people who stirred with metal utensils scratched their non-stick and ruined the surface, whereas those who used nonmetal tools avoided that problem.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

grocery Ingredients

• Smoked pancetta, finely sliced
• Bay leaves
• Garlic
• Rosemary, leaves removed
• Carrots
• Celery
• Red onions
• Minced pork (or minced beef)
• Minced beef
• Salt, to taste
• Black pepper
• 1/2 whole nutmeg nutmeg, grated
• 2 small glass red wine
• Lentils
• Plum tomatoes, canned
• 50g butter
• Leek
• 4 tbsp flour, heaped
• 1 litre milk
• Cheddar cheese
• Parmesan
• Smoked mozzarella
• Fresh lasagna sheets
• 2 ladle meat ragu
• White sauce

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Finely slice the smoked pancetta and fry it in a pan until aromatic.
2. Add bay leaves and garlic to the pan and fry with the pancetta.
3. Remove the rosemary leaves from their stems and set aside.
4. Add carrots, celery, and red onions to the pan and fry for about 5 minutes.
5. Push the vegetables to one side, add minced pork first, then add minced beef; break up the meat, cook off moisture and brown the meat until coloured (about 10 minutes total frying at this stage).
6. Season the meat mixture with salt, be generous with black pepper, and grate in about half a nutmeg.
7. Pour in two small glasses of red wine.
8. Add lentils, then add canned plum tomatoes and pour the water from the tins into the pan as well.
9. Let the ragu simmer and sit for about an hour and a half.
10. Make the white sauce: put 50 grams of butter in a pan and heat, add the leek to the sizzling butter, then stir in 4 heaped tablespoons of flour.
11. Slowly add 1 litre of milk, bring the sauce to the boil, then blend the sauce until smooth (use a hand/immersion blender in the pan).
12. Add cheddar, a bit of parmesan, and some smoked mozzarella to the white sauce and stir until incorporated.
13. If the ragu seems too dry, add a little water to loosen it.
14. Assemble the lasagna: ladle about 2 ladles of ragu into the baking dish, place fresh lasagna sheets over it, add a little white sauce, and repeat layers until ingredients are used.
15. Finish with the last of the white sauce and a final kiss of cheese on top.
16. Bake the assembled lasagna in the oven at 180 degrees Celsius (350 Fahrenheit) for about 40 minutes to 45 minutes.
17. Let the lasagna sit for about 5 to 10 minutes before slicing (optional).

crowdsource Community Insights

This one really comes down to the beans. People who made it found rinsing mattered, especially when the beans were packed in salty liquid, because a good rinse cut that extra salt. Mixing different types, navy, black, and kidney, tended to give uneven textures and other problems, and the cooks who used dried kidney beans in particular ran into trouble. People who started from dried beans generally liked the results better than those who relied on canned. The takeaway people passed along was: rinse your beans, avoid tossing a bunch of different bean types together, and consider dried beans for more consistent texture and flavor.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

grocery Ingredients

• Chili peppers, halved, seeds removed, diced (or fresh chilis, dried chilis, a mixture of fresh and dried, bell pepper (mild))
• Onion, roughly chopped
• Oil
• 2 can Tomatoes, crushed (or puréed tomatoes, tomatillos (to make a green chili))
• 3-4 can Beans, undrained (or soaked dried beans (soak overnight))
• Beef
• Carrots
• Cauliflower
• Cumin
• Smoked paprika
• Oregano, dried
• Garlic powder
• Cayenne
• Mustard powder
• Salt, to taste
• Chocolate, chips or small pieces (or Mexican chocolate, dark chocolate chips)

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Cut the chilis (or bell pepper) in half and pull out the seeds; remove the ribs if you want to limit heat, then slice into strips and dice.
2. Roughly chop the onion.
3. Heat some oil in a big pot over pretty high heat.
4. Add the chopped onion and chilis (and optional carrots or cauliflower) to the pot and cook, stirring, about 10 minutes to soften.
5. Add canned tomatoes and beans: I am using two big cans of crushed (fire roasted) tomatoes and three to four cans of beans with their liquid undrained; roughly equal quantities of tomatoes and beans is a good starting point, though you may prefer extra tomato.
6. Add spices from the spice rack to taste: cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, and garlic powder are standard; add cayenne if you want heat and mustard powder for extra pungency. Add only a pinch of salt because the canned goods are already salty.
7. Bring the pot to a simmer. If using canned beans, simmer for about a half hour. If using soaked dried beans, simmer at least 1 to 2 hours until the beans are soft.
8. Stir in a little dark or Mexican chocolate (or dark chocolate chips) and melt it into the stew.
9. Taste and adjust spices and salt as needed, adding more smoked paprika, cumin, mustard powder, or cayenne to suit your preference.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

grocery Ingredients

• 1 brown onion, medium diced
• 5 clove garlic, small diced
• 5g flat leaf parsley, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1kg beef mince
• 2 tbsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 3 tbsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1/2 cup beef stock
• 800g diced tomatoes, diced or crushed (or crushed tomatoes)
• 400g kidney beans, rinsed
• 2 cup jasmine rice, washed under cold water
• 3 3/4 cup cold water
• 1 tsp sea salt flakes
• 1 tsp cracked black pepper
• Sour cream
• Fresh coriander (or coriander)
• 1 star anise
• 3 cardamom pods

book_ribbon Instructions

Chili

1. Slice the large brown onion in half, trim the ends, peel, then thinly slice and cut into a medium dice; set aside.
2. Place the side of a knife on each garlic clove, crush, then thinly slice and roughly chop until small; set aside.
3. Scrunch 5 grams flat leaf parsley into a tight ball and thinly slice; set aside.
4. Place a large pan over high heat until hot, add 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) olive oil.
5. Add the diced onion, mix and sweat (cook without color) for 3 minutes, stirring very frequently.
6. Add the chopped garlic and continue sweating for 45 seconds, stirring constantly.
7. Add 1 kilogram (2.3 pounds) beef mince, break it up, mix well and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
8. Season the mince with 1 teaspoon sea salt flakes and 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper and continue cooking until most of the rendered fat is evaporated.
9. Add 2 tablespoons (2 grams) dried oregano, 2 teaspoons (4 grams) smoked paprika, 3 tablespoons (16 grams) ground cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon (0.2 grams) cayenne pepper (optional); then add 2 tablespoons (35 grams) tomato paste, mix and fry for 1 minute.
10. Pour in 1/2 cup (125 milliliters) beef stock and 800 grams (28 ounces) diced or crushed tomatoes, mix to combine.
11. Season with 1 to 1.5 teaspoons sea salt flakes and 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper, mix and bring the mixture to a boil.
12. Reduce heat to low, place a lid on the pan and simmer for 1 hour, checking every 20 minutes: at each 20-minute check remove the lid and stir, then replace the lid.
13. After 40 minutes of total simmer time, remove the lid, add 400 grams (14 ounces) rinsed kidney beans and the chopped parsley, mix, then add another 1 teaspoon sea salt flakes and 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper and mix again.
14. Place the lid back on and simmer for the remaining 20 minutes.

Rice

1. Place a large saucepan on the stovetop, add 2 cups (390 grams) washed jasmine rice, 1 star anise and 3 cardamom pods, then pour in 3 3/4 cups (860 milliliters) cold water.
2. Bring to a boil, then place a lid on the pan, reduce heat to low and simmer for 14 minutes without touching the rice.
3. After 14 minutes remove the saucepan from the heat and leave the lid on for 5 minutes to steam.
4. Remove the lid, discard the star anise and cardamom pods, and gently fluff the rice with a fork.

Finish and Serve

1. Remove the lid from the chili, turn off the heat and give it one last mix.
2. Spoon the rice into a serving dish, spoon the chili over the rice, add a spoon of sour cream and top with fresh coriander (cilantro).