"Traditional" Texas Chili

I put traditional in quotes because chili is hotly debated all over, and particularly in Texas. To me, this is a traditional as it gets. This recipe, while modified in some ingredients and tools used, very closely follows a family recipe passed down from my great grandmother who was born and raised in Amarillo, to my grandmother who was born and raised in San Antonio, to my Father who was born and raised in Austin.

Texas Chili

Ingredients - 1 lb cubed stew beef - 1 medium sweet onion medium diced - 2 bell peppers medium diced - 1 fresh jalapeno finely diced - 2 dried chipotle peppers whole - 5 - 6 dried chile de arbol whole - 2 cloves garlic finely diced - 1 can diced tomatoes - 1 tablespoon tomato paste - 1 large style beer - 2-3 shots of smokey mezcal or tequila if you prefer - olive oil - worshtershire sauce - apple cider vinegar - brown sugar - salt - black pepper - onion powder - granulated garlic - smoked paprika - chili powder - cumin - adobo - clove - cinnamon

To prepare

1. Place a small pot on the stove and fill with approximate 1-2 cups of water. Turn up the heat and leave to boil. Once boiling, add the dried peppers and cover. Allow to steep until the peppers feel soft to the touch.

2. Heat olive oil in the bottom of the main pot you intend to cook the chili in. Add the jalepeno and garlic and cook until fragrant.

3. Add the reconstituted dried peppers, steeping liquid, jalenpeno, and garlic to a high speed blender or food processor and season with salt, pepper, cider vinegar, and blend/pulse until smooth. Strain back into the small pot through a sieve. Reserve for later.

4. In a bowl, eyeballing your measurements, mix two tablespoons of onion powder, granulated garlic, and paprika, one table spoon of black pepper. 2 teaspoons of salt, and 1 teaspoon each of cumin, clove, adobo, chili powder, and cinnamon. Mix thoroughly.

5. Place meat in a container and pour 3/4 of seasoning mix over it. Stir to coat.

6. In the same pot you cooked your jalapeno and garlic, add a little extra oil and brown your meat making sure you get a good crust on all side of the cubes. Remove the meat and set aside.

7. Deglaze the bottom of the pot with a shot of mezcal/tequila, and shoot one yourself. Add your onions and peppers, seasoning with a sprinkle of salt and cook until the onions are translucent. Deglaze again with the remaining shot of liquor.

8. Add in the tomatoes, tomato paste, meat and beer and mix thoroughly. Adding two tablespoons of worshtershire. Allow to come to a simmer and reduce.

9. Return to the pulverized pepper liquid. Bring to a low simmer over medium heat and add remaining dry spice mixture along with sugar, vinegar, and salt to taste. This is essentially your hot sauce you can use as a condiment with the chili but also to add heat at your discretion while cooking.

10. Add desired amount of hot sauce to chili for flavor, adjust seasoning to taste, and allow to reduce. This will take a few hours. Ensure to stir and not allow anything to burn on the bottom of the pot.

Serving

I find the best way to serve this is hot out of the pot, in a bowl with a little shredded cheddar and some flour tortillas. Offer hot sauces, both homemade and store bought, as options to increase heat. Goes great with margaritas, cold beer, or for those underage...limeade.

Note: No, there are no beans in this recipe. I dislike arguing the point but suffice it to say that there is a lot of controversy between those who prefer beans in their chili and those who don't. I don't.

bon appetit