Texans like meat, and in Texas, chili is all about meat and spices. We make ours with chunks of sirloin and season it with a blend of ancho chiles, which lend an earthy, sweet, raisin flavor, and pasilla chiles, which give a spicy, deep taste. Our Texas Red Chili is a “wanderin’ special” on our menu, showin’ up every now and then. During deer season in November, we may even make it with venison.

　　

Ingredients

feeds 8 to 12

　　3 1/2 to 4 pounds beef sirloin or stew meat

　　Kosher salt

　　Coarsely ground black pepper

　　1 tablespoon corn oil

　　1/4 pound bacon, diced

　　3 cups chopped onion

　　2 cups chopped green pepper

　　2 medium jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced

　　2 heaping tablespoons chopped garlic

　　4 cups beef broth or stock (to make your own, see page 169)

　　1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes

　　2 bay leaves

　　1 cinnamon stick (2 1/2 to 3 inches long)

　　2 tablespoons ground ancho chile (see note)

　　1 tablespoon ground pasilla chile (see note)

　　2 teaspoons ground cumin

　　1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar

　　1 tablespoon dried oregano

　　Juice of 1/2 lime

　　2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

　　

The Garnish

Shredded Cheddar cheese

　　Chopped red onions

　　

Step 1

Trim away the fat and membrane from the meat and cut into 1-inch cubes. Season the meat with 1 tablespoon each of salt and pepper and set aside.

　　

Step 2

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven. Toss in the bacon and cook over medium-high heat til brown and crispy. Scoop out the bacon and drain on some paper towels. (The bacon is only for flavoring the oil in the pot, so feel free to eat up all the crispy bits while you cook.) Keep the bacon fat in the pan and add the beef in batches. Cook each batch for about 3 minutes, stirring the pieces around til browned. Scoop each batch out into a bowl when it’s done.

　　

Step 3

Toss the onions, green peppers, and jalapeños into the pot and stir them around in the pan juices, scraping up all the tasty brown bits clinging to the bottom and sides of the pot. Season the veggies with a generous pinch of salt and pepper, and cook til soft. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Dump all the meat and any accumulated meat juices into the veggies. Add the broth, tomatoes, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, chiles, cumin, and brown sugar and give everything a good stir. Cover the pan and bring to a boil; then crack the lid, turn down the heat to low, and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or til the beef is nice and tender but still holds its shape.

　　

Step 4

Finish the chili by adding the oregano, lime juice, and cilantro. Fish out the cinnamon stick and the bay leaves, then check the seasonings and add a bit more salt and pepper if you like. Ladle the chili out into bowls and top with some shredded Cheddar cheese and chopped red onions. It’s lip-tinglin’ good.

　　Cooks' Note

　　Ancho and pasilla chiles can most commonly be found whole and dried (locally in Syracuse at the Hot Shoppe in Armory Square; see Resources, page 174). If<br/>you wind up with whole dried chiles, you’ll need to crisp them up a bit before grinding them yourself. So preheat the oven to 300° and toast the chiles for 3 to 5 minutes, til crisp and dry. Slit the sides and get the seeds out. Break the chiles into pieces and grind in a spice mill or coffee grinder.

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