Real Texas Chili!
Today we’ll dive into Texas chili, sometimes called chili con carne – literally chili with meat. It is a very simple recipe made of beef, chilis, and often includes garlic, onion, tomato, and several spices. This is important – real Texas chili includes no beans. Repeat – NO beans! Chili purists are very adamant about this. Think of it as a Tex-Mex style beef stew.
Now here is Randy’s “Bowl of Red” Chili Recipe – makes about eight one cup servings. I was tempted to give instructions for making the sauce with dried peppers, but chili powder is easier, quicker, and tastes just fine.
Real Texas Chili
You will enjoy this recipe made with beef chuck, beef broth, and spices. It packs a little heat, but you can add cayenne or hot sauce if you want more.
Ingredients
- boneless beef chuck - About 4 lbs. cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Trim off the membranes and connective tissue. If it is tough to cut, remove it – keep the tender meat.
- cooking oil - 2 Tbsp. for browning the meat – add more if the meat sticks to the pan.
- yellow onion - 1 large coarsely chopped.
- masa harina (corn tortilla flour) - 3 Tbsp. can substitute corn meal for thickening, but tastes a bit different
- minced garlic - 1 Tbsp. (4-6 cloves minced fresh garlic).
- Comino (Cumin) seed - 1 Tbsp. (you can substitute 2 tsp. ground cumin).
- Mexican Oregano - 2 tsp.
- Cayenne Pepper - 1/4 tsp.
- beef broth - 1 - 14 ounce can
- water - 1 1/4 cups – may need to add more to keep meat nearly covered.
- brown sugar - 2 Tbsp .
- salt and pepper
Instructions
Cooking instructions:
Add oil to a dutch oven or heavy kettle and brown (not gray or tan) the beef in several batches, sprinkling with salt and fresh ground black pepper. Add oil if needed. Remove beef when browned.
Put the chopped onion and garlic in the Dutch oven with a few ounces of the beef broth and cook over medium heat until onions are tender. Stir in chili powder, cornmeal, garlic, cumin, oregano, and cayenne pepper, and cook a minute or two.
Stir in the browned beef, the remaining beef broth, the water, brown sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a slow simmer. Simmer covered for 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until meat is tender.
To serve, try topping your 'bowl of red' with sour cream, shredded cheese, corn chips, or you own favorite topping.
How did my official tasters rate this recipe? They rated it from 6 to 10 with an average of almost 9. Their comments were; too spicy, needs more heat, too sweet, needs salt, and needs 'something'. I believe none of them have ever experienced chili without beans. Their comments clearly show the flavor is a matter of personal taste, so when you make it, be sure to taste the chili while it cooks and adjust spices to your personal taste.
