This is a recipe I've been tweaking/perfecting for two years now. It's awesome, IMHO.
Matt's Mayan Red Fire Turkey Chili
Makes 5 cups, enough for 4 to 6
3 large dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
1 large dried New Mexico chile, stemmed and seeded
1 large dried pasilla chile, stemmed and seeded
4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon toasted ground cumin
2 tablespoons vegetable oil or olive oil
1 1/4 pounds ground turkey (or your preferred chili meat)
1 medium onion, 1/4-inch dice
1/2 cup dark beer (preferably homebrewed)
2 5.5 oz cans spicy V8
3/4 cup chicken stock
1/4 tsp fresh ground cinnamon
1 tsp unsweetened Mexican cocoa powder
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
1 15-ounce can pinto beans, drained
2 tablespoons masa harina
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Garnishes:
Shredded Monterey jack cheese, tortilla strips, and cilantro
1. The chile seasoning. Heat a medium-size skillet over medium. When hot, toast chiles one by one: open flat and press down with spatula until the chile releases its aroma and toasts lightly, 10 to 15 seconds. Flip and toast the other side. In a small bowl, cover the chiles with hot water and let rehydrate 20 minutes. Drain.
In a food processor or blender, combine the chiles and a little water, garlic, and cumin. Blend to a smooth puree, scraping down and stirring frequently. (If the mixture won’t move through the blender blades, stir in a tablespoon or two of water to get things going.) With a rubber spatula, work the chile mixture through a medium-mesh strainer into a bowl.
2. Browning the meat and onion. Heat the oil in a medium-size (4-quart) pot (preferably a Dutch oven or Mexican cazuela) over medium-high heat. When hot, add the ground turkey (or your preferred chili meat) and onion. Stir, breaking up clumps, until browned thoroughly, about 10 minutes. (If there is lots of rendered fat, tip it off and discard.) Add the beer; simmer until almost completely evaporated.
3. Finishing the chili. Add the chile puree and stir for about 5 minutes as the mixture thickens and concentrates all those rich flavors. Stir in spicy V8 juice, chicken stock, cinnamon, and cocoa and simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes. Add tomatoes, beans, masa harina and salt. Partially cover and simmer gently over medium-low, stirring frequently, until the sauce has reduced to coat the meat rather thickly, about 30 minutes.
Serve with shredded jack cheese, tortilla strips and cilantro for each person to add to the chili as they want.