Home on the range: meet Montana ranching families want to raise healthier beef for you—and save their way of life. Plus: a rich chili and the best steak you've ever eaten

Sunset, Feb, 2005 by Jeff Phillips

3. Transfer steaks to warm plates. Spoon onions over the top and sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons thyme leaves.

Per serving: 813 cal., 65% (531 cal.) from fat; 52 g protein; 59 g fat (23 g sat.); 19 g carbo (4.2 g fiber); 503 mg sodium; 186 mg chol.

Ranch Chili

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 3 3/4 hours

MAKES: 6 servings

NOTES: Top chili with chopped onions and cilantro; serve with avocado, crumbled cheese, sour cream, and warm flour tortillas.

      About 2 cans (14 1/2 oz. each) fat-skimmed low-sodium beef broth
    6 to 8 dried New Mexico chiles (about 5 in. long, 1 1/2 to 2 oz.
      total)
   12 ounces bacon, chopped
    4 pounds boned beef chuck
      Salt
    2 onions (8 oz. each), chopped
  1/4 cup minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
    2 cups (16 oz.) dark beer
    4 fresh poblano chiles (10 oz.)

1. Pour 1 can broth into a glass measure; heat in a microwave until simmering. Stem and seed dried chiles; rinse, cut into chunks, and put in a blender. Pour hot broth over chiles and let stand 10 minutes. Holding lid down with a towel, whirl until smooth.

2. Meanwhile, in a 6-quart heavy pan over medium-high heat, stir bacon often until browned, about 10 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels. Discard all but 2 tablespoons fat from pan.

3. Rinse beef and pat dry; cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks, trimming off any large lumps of fat. Sprinkle beef lightly with salt. Working in batches, add beef in a single layer to pan and turn pieces as needed to brown all over, 5 to 6 minutes per batch. Transfer beef to a bowl. Add onion, garlic, cumin, and oregano to pan; stir often until onion is limp and beginning to brown, 5 to 6 minutes.

4. Return beef and bacon to pan. Add chile puree, beer, and remaining can broth; bring to a boil, scraping up browned bits. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour. Uncover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until beef is very tender when pierced and sauce is thickened, 1 to 1 1/2 hours longer; if sauce gets too thick before beef is done, add more broth as needed.

5. While beef cooks, in a roasting pan, broil poblano chiles 4 inches from heat, turning once, until charred all over, 11 to 13 minutes total. When cool enough to handle, peel, stem, seed, and coarsely chop. Stir into chili about 30 minutes before it's done.

Per serving: 672 cal., 47% (315 cal.) from fat; 68 g protein; 35 g fat (12 g sat.); 19 g carbo (3.7 g fiber); 777 mg sodium; 213 mg chol.

RANCH PHOTOGRAPHS BY ROB HOWARD

FOOD PHOTOGRAPHS BY LEIGH BEISCH