Brick-Red Chili with Toasted Chiles and Masa Crunch

Read through the recipe, then gather the equipment and use the ingredient lines to prepare and measure everything. Stem and seed the dried chiles, measure the chili powder, cumin, oregano and cayenne into a small bowl, and set up the blender. Everything is prepared and measured before the pot goes on the heat.

Toss 4 oz red onion with 1/4 cup fresh lime juice in a small bowl and set it aside while you cook. The onion turns bright pink and softens, about 30 minutes.

Toast 3 whole dried ancho chiles and 3 whole dried guajillo chiles in a dry 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat, pressing them flat with the spatula and turning once, until fragrant, pliable and a shade darker; pull them before they smoke. Put them in a heatproof bowl, pour over 1 cup unsalted chicken stock, heated until steaming, and soak until completely soft, about 15 to 20 minutes. Blend the chiles and their soaking stock until smooth and brick red.

Heat 1 tbsp canola oil in a 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Press 1 1/2 lb ground beef into the pot in a flat layer, sprinkle it with 1 tsp flaky kosher salt and leave it alone until deeply browned underneath, about 5 minutes.

Break the beef into bite-size crumbles and keep cooking over medium-high heat, stirring only now and then so it keeps browning, until no pink shows, about 3 to 4 minutes. Leave the fat in the pot; it carries the spices.

Lower the heat to medium heat and add 8 oz yellow onion and the jalapeño. Stir, scraping up the browned bits, until the onion is soft and see-through, about 6 minutes.

Stir in the garlic over medium heat until fragrant. Add 1 tbsp chili powder, 2 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper and 2 tbsp tomato paste, and stir constantly until the spices darken a shade and smell toasty and the paste turns brick red, about 1 to 2 minutes. If they smell sharp or burnt, add the tomatoes at once.

Scrape in the chile paste, then add 1 can crushed tomatoes (28 ounces), 1 cup unsalted chicken stock, 3 cups canned kidney beans and 1 tsp flaky kosher salt, and scrape the bottom clean. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then turn to low heat so one slow bubble breaks every few seconds. Set the lid ajar and simmer, stirring and scraping the bottom now and then, until a spoon drawn across the bottom leaves a trail that fills in slowly and the center reads at least 160°F (71°C) on an instant-read thermometer, about 45 to 60 minutes.

Meanwhile, toast 1/4 cup raw pepitas in a dry small skillet over medium heat, shaking the pan, until they puff and start to pop, about 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer them to a bowl with 1 cup tortilla chips and toss.

Stir in 1/2 oz dark chocolate and 1/4 cup brewed coffee over low heat, if using, until the chocolate melts. For a thicker chili, whisk 2 tbsp masa harina into 1/4 cup warm water until smooth, stir it in and simmer, stirring, until the chili is glossy and free of any raw, floury taste, about 5 minutes; fresh masa, if you can get it, gives a sweeter, deeper corn flavor. Stir in 1 tsp cider vinegar.

Taste the chili with some beef and beans. Aim for deep, fruity chile, savory beef, heat building at the back and well-seasoned beans. If it tastes flat, add flaky kosher salt to taste; if it tastes heavy or muddy, add cider vinegar to taste, up to 1 tsp more. The chili tastes deep, savory and well seasoned.

Ladle the chili into bowls to make 4 servings. Top each with the drained pickled onion, the pepita crunch, 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, 1/2 cup sour cream and 4 oz sharp cheddar, if using. Cool leftovers promptly, refrigerate them and reheat them to 165°F (74°C), checked with an instant-read thermometer. The chili is portioned and topped.