INGREDIENTS

• 3-4 lb chuck roast cut into 8 to 10 pieces
• Salt and pepper
• oil, for browning meat
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 4 stalks celery, diced
• 6 cloves of garlic, smashed and minced
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
• 1/4 cup chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne (optional)
• 2 tablespoons cumin
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 3 cups beef broth
• 1/2 cup Masa Harina*
• 1 bottle of beer (I just used a Budweiser)
• 1 can Ro*Tel diced tomatoes with green chiles
• 1 can kidney beans

* Masa Harina is a finely ground corn flour, used to make corn tortillas. You can find this at the grocery store. Do not skip it. Don’t even bother to make the recipe if you’re going to skip this ingredient. Examples of brands you can find at any Kroger or Target: Maseca® Amarillo Instant Yellow Corn Masa Flour, Quaker® Corn Tortilla Mix Masa Harina de Maiz, Bob’s Red Mill Organic Masa Harina Corn Flour.

INSTRUCTIONS

• Get your crockpot ready by plugging it in and setting on high.
• Cut your chuck roast into 8-10 squares. Pat dry with paper towel and sprinkle all over with a generous amount of salt and pepper.
• Heat a large skillet or stew pot over medium high heat. Add about 1 tablespoon oil and swirl to coat. 
• Brown the meat in two batches. Place each piece in the pan with about an inch of space around it. Do not crowd the meat or it will steam rather than sear. Sear about 1 minute on each side.
• Transfer your seared beef to your crock pot.
• Once all the beef is seared, and transferred add another tablespoon of oil to the pan. Saute the onions and celery over medium high heat for about 3 minutes, until they start to soften. They should be all brown and delicious looking, picking up all that beef flavor. 
• Add minced garlic and chopped jalapenos. 
• Add chili powder, cayenne pepper, cumin seed (or powder), oregano, garlic powder, and brown sugar.
• Stir it all together and let the spices toast into the veggies for a couple minutes.
• Add the beef broth and beer. Scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to get all of those good bits combined.
• Slowly add in 1/4 cup of masa harina, (yes. we are only using half of it right now) stirring constantly. Break up any lumps right away. 
• Pour the mixture into the crock pot.
• Add the cans of crushed tomatoes and beans then stir.
• Put the lid on the crock pot and cook on high for 2 hours.
• Turn to low, add remaining 1/4 cup of masa and cook an additional 5 hours.
• When it’s almost time to eat, use a wooden spoon to break up the chunks of beef. Or you could remove it to a plate and shred with a fork, then return to the pot. 

Optional: Serve with sour cream, cheddar cheese, finely chopped onions, cilantro, corn bread or spaghetti noodles.