Hollywood-Style Chili

During the golden age of Hollywood, Chasen's restaurant hosted all manner of stars, from the Rat Pack to Alfred Hitchcock. When the restaurant closed in 1995, few recipes were more sadly mourned than its famous Hollywood-Style Chili. Chasen's original recipe started with a combination of beef chuck roast and pork butt. Because we lacked the special large-hold meat grinder employed at Chasen's, we opted for store-bought ground beef and coarsely chopped blade chops instead. Using canned beans, tomato sauce, and crushed tomatoes helped streamline the process, while chipotle chiles in adobo sauce added depth and heat.

3 pounds bone-in pork chops, about 1 1/2" thick   

4 tablespoons unsalted butter  

2 pounds 85% lean ground chuck  

3 green bell peppers, seeded and finely chopped  

2 onions, finely chopped  

4 cloves garlic, minced  

1/4 cup chili powder  

2 teaspoons ground cumin  

1 tablespoon minced chipotle chilis in adobo sauce  1 (29-oz) can tomato sauce  

2 (28-oz) cans crushed tomatoes   

3 (16-oz) cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1. Pat pork dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add pork and cook until well browned on all sides, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer pork to plate. Add beef to pot and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Drain beef and set aside.

2. Return Dutch oven to medium heat and melt remaining butter. Add peppers and onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, chili powder, and cumin and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

3. Stir in chile, adobo sauce, tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, and 1 cup water and bring to boil. Return pork and beef to pot, along with any accumulated juices. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until pork is tender, about 1 hour.

4. Transfer pork to cutting board. When cool enough to handle, remove meat from bones, discarding fat, and chop coarsely. Use wide spoon to skim any fat from surface of chili. Stir chopped pork and pinto beans into pot, return to simmer, and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.