Mexican Chilli Beef (In the Billyboil Thermal Cooker)
As we gear up for our big trip, I’ve been making the most of my time at home by getting familiar with our new Billyboil thermal cooker (you can check out my blog post all about the Billyboil here). This dish is my first attempt at adapting one of my own recipes from Feed Me Kate, and I have to say—it turned out amazing! The meat was incredibly tender, and the flavours were just as rich as the stovetop version. It did turn out a bit more liquidy, which is typical when using a thermal cooker, so I’ve adjusted the water quantity slightly to balance it out. I hope you give this recipe a go and enjoy it as much as we did!
Mexican Chilli Beef (In the Billyboil)
As we gear up for our big trip, I’ve been making the most of my time at home by getting familiar with our new Billyboil thermal cooker. The meat was incredibly tender, and the flavours were just as rich as the stovetop version. It did turn out a bit more liquidy, which is typical when using a thermal cooker, so I’ve adjusted the water quantity slightly to balance it out.
Equipment
- Thermal cooker
Ingredients
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 800g gravy beef, cut into 3cm cubes (or use chuck steak)
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons finely diced chipotles in adobo sauce (I used La Costena brand available from Coles or Woolies)
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- ½-1 teaspoon Mexican chilli powder (to suit your taste buds and heat level)
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 beef stock cubes, crumbled
- 1 cup water
- 400g can diced tomatoes
- 400g can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
SERVING SUGGESTIONS – PICK AS MANY AS YOU LIKE
- Steamed rice
- Fresh crusty bread
- Corn chips
- Sour cream
- Avocado
- Cheese
- Cherry tomatoes
- Lime wedges
- Fresh coriander
- Sliced Jalapeños
Instructions
- Place the inner pot from the Billyboil over a medium-high heat (place on a small burner rather than large). Allow it to get hot before adding 1 tablespoon of the oil. Season the beef all over with salt and pepper then add to the pan lightly spreading it out (you can do this in 2 batches if preferred). Allow it to get a good sear on the meat before stirring, about 1 -2 minutes. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until beef is seared all over and lightly coloured. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Carefully pour any excess liquid out from the pot and discard.
- Allow the pot to reheat until hot then add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of oil. Add the onion and garlic, cook, stirring often for 5 minutes. Add the chipotle in adobo sauce and all the spices, cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes. Return the beef, along with any juices, to the pan and stir until well coated in the spice mixture.
- Crumble in the beef stock cubes, then add the water, tomatoes and red kidney beans. Stir well to combine and bring gently to the boil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Place the lid onto the pot and immediately reduce heat to medium-low. Allow to boil for 20 minutes, without removing the lid.
- Carefully transfer the inner pot into the outer pot. Close the lid and turn the handle over to lock in place. (I chose to place the cooker into a thermal shopping bag (i.e from Aldi or Woolies etc) and zipped it up. I have read it can help keep the food hotter for longer. This is totally optional). Allow to cook for at least 6 hours.
- I checked the dish after 7 hours and the meat was lovely and tender and the dish smelt amazing. I inserted a temperature probe and the dish was sitting at 75C, which was still well within Australian safety standards (60C or hotter). Im not sure it would of kept its heat for 12 hours. (The pot was not 80% full though, especially with the shrinkage in the meat). But for 7 hours it was perfect, probably even 8-9 hours it still would of been ok. You could always place it back over the heat and bring to the boil for 5 or so minutes if desired for a super hot dish or if the temp is only around 60C.
- Serve the Mexican chilli beef with your choice of sides and enjoy 🙂