United States / Main
Original Texas-Style Chili
The original Texas-style chili version of chili con carne contains no vegetables at all, except chili peppers. If using fresh peppers, they should have been prepared by being boiled, peeled, and chopped. If using dried peppers, they need to be soaked in hot water for 1 hour before being chopped.
Ingredients
- beef or other meat, or other meat; source gives incomplete metric equivalent: 1.33 lb
- beef kidney suet, kidney suet; source gives incomplete metric equivalent: 552 oz
- chile pods, skinned and blistered, or sun-dried chiles4
- dried oregano, dried1 tbsp
- cumin seeds, crushed1 tbsp
- salt1 tbsp
- cayenne pepper1 tsp
- Tabasco sauce, optional but frequently included1 tbsp
- garlic, chopped; or more, to taste2 clove
- masa harina, heaping2 tbsp
Quantities are auto-calculated from the original recipe as a guide. Items without numbers (e.g. “to taste”) are not changed.
Method 5 steps
Sear beef in a little cooking oil (not lard) until lightly browned.
Add the seared beef, suet, and chile pods to a large iron skillet or pot (at least four quarts), and enough water (the reserved "pepper water" if you prepared the pods yourself) to keep the meat from burning. Bring to a boil, then lower heat, cover, and simmer about 30 minutes.
Take pot off the stove and add spices and garlic. Put back on the stove, bring to a boil again, lower heat, and simmer another hour, keeping the lid on as much as possible. Stir when necessary, but remember that too much stirring will tear the meat. Add a little more water if anything seems seriously in danger of burning (but as little water as possible).
Take pot off the stove and skim off all or most of the grease.
Mix in masa harina, which "tightens" or thickens the chili con carne and adds a subtle tamale-like flavor. Simmer about 30 minutes more, until meat is done. Do a lot of tasting during this time, (1) to adjust the seasoning, and (2) just because a chili cook should do a lot of tasting.
