Tri-Tip Steak Chili Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the best cut of steak for chili? ›

What kind of steak should I use for chili? We like to use chuck steak which has lots of beefy flavor. But any cut of beef that is marked as 'stewing beef' or 'beef roast' will work well in this recipe. You want a tough cut of beef that will soften and become tender and tasty after a long cook.

The tri-tip's robust beefy flavor and firmer texture adds incredible flavor and bite when added to recipes, like tacos, sandwiches or fajitas. For mouth-watering results try a marinade and marinate two to three hours before you cook.

Use lean beef, but not super lean meat. The best ground beef for chili has some fat, so 85% lean is ideal. Don't be tempted to use extra-lean beef or drain off the fat after browning the meat. The fat bastes the meat during cooking, which adds richness to the sauce and keeps the meat moist.

Beef chuck works well because it cooks in a reasonable length of time and makes a good looking glossy gravy. A good cut is the chuck tender, which is sometimes known as a “mock tender”. When sliced, it is called chuck steak. Chuck roast also can be used.

Tri-tip steak is cut from a tri-tip roast, a small, triangular cut from the sirloin. It's also known as a triangle steak, bottom sirloin steak, or Santa Maria steak. This is a boneless cut, about ¾- to 1-inch thick, and should be nicely marbled.

The short loin is often considered one of the most tender Mexican beef cuts. It's found on the front part of the loin primal cut and features numerous varieties that are also some of the most desirable parts of the animal. These include tenderloin, strip loin, porterhouse, and T-bone steaks.

Lean, tender, and flavorful, Tri-Tip Steak works well with smoking, grilling, and roasting. We recommend cooking to a medium-rare internal temperature of 135 degrees F. Pan Seared Top Sirloin: Pat dry – use paper towels to pat the steaks dry to get a perfect sear and reduce oil splatter.

Beef tri-tip is a relatively cheap and lean steak cut from the sirloin. It cooks up tasty and tender with a marinade. Because it doesn't have a lot of fat marbling like a rib-eye steak, it's best grilled, broiled or pan-seared (higher temperature, quick-cooking methods) so it doesn't dry out.

It's rich in meaty flavor and lower in fat than other cuts. Though the cut is lean and boneless, it's still very tender and full of flavor. Tri-tip is either sold as a small roast (the entire triangular cut from the tip of the sirloin), or it's sliced into tri-tip steaks.

Cocoa powder, bacon, cinnamon, ground coffee and tomato paste will all add a rich sweet & salty flavors that are sure to surprise and delight. Warming spice blends, like Garam Masala, Ras el Hanout or Baharat are another simple and delicious way to add layered flavors to this simple one-pot meal.

What kind of meat does Wendy's use in their chili? ›

The Wendy's Chili recipe ingredients are simple at their core, but at Wendy's it's all about blending our signature beef with the perfect mix of hearty vegetables, chili beans and savory spices. The result is a taste that's both satisfying and sentimental, and it's the perfect comfort food anytime of the year.

To keep the meat moist and tender, we treated it with salt and baking soda. Both ingredients helped the meat hold on to moisture, so it stayed juicy and didn't shed liquid during cooking, which would water down the chili. We also simmered the meat for 90 minutes to fully tenderize it.

Additional Depth of Flavor

Ingredients like tomato paste, cinnamon, coffee and liquid smoke can all add flavor hints that will make your chili cook-off entry unique. Roast your vegetables and use broth or beer instead of water for even more flavor in your pot.

The beef will release a lot of fat and liquid — do not drain it; you'll skim the fat off at the end. Add the ancho chili powder, chipotle chili powder, cumin, oregano, coriander, smoked paprika, and cinnamon (if using). Cook, stirring frequently, for 1 to 2 minutes, until well combined and fragrant.

Raw meat and pot of chili are two things that just don't belong together. If the recipe includes any type of ground meat, bacon, chorizo, or cubes of beef, it should always be browned first. Try this: The first order of business before adding anything else to the pot is to brown any meat in your recipe.

Flank steak is our cut of choice for pepper steak—it's marbled with fat, full of beefy flavor, and easy to cut into thin, tender slices. That being said, flank isn't your only option. Skirt steak will give you a very similar result, or if you're looking for a cheaper choice, sirloin is another great option.

The Ribeye is generally considered to be the most flavourful steak. These steaks are cut from the ribs and contain a lot of marbling throughout. The muscle from where the Ribeye is cut, isn't used often so the meat is very tender.

Most chefs opt for a ribeye as being one of the best cuts of meat. A ribeye has everything – from the way it holds together to the fat marbling, and when thickly-butchered, it simply makes for an excellent steak.

In restaurants, skirt steak is the preferred cut for carne asada. But at home, you might notice that skirt steak is never as tender as it is in restaurants.