Brokkr , 7 months ago

Kenji has convinced me that it’s not worth trying to get a good sear on ground meat in chili and bolognese. In his recipes the ground beef is cooked with the chili paste, garlic, and onions (or with other stuff in the ragu). The lost maillard flavors can be recovered with soy sauce, fish sauce, marmite, and MSG.

So to answer your question, during. Kind of, since it gets flavored by the other stuff.

I think the only wrong answer is before, because that will give the meat a sausage consistency. I don’t want rubbery beef in my chili.

Also well done on asking a chili question that doesn’t start a war about beans.