Texas Red Chili

Name: Texas Red Chili
Yield: feeds 8 to 12
Ingredients: 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; Shredded Cheddar cheese; Chopped red onions

January 24, 2012

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.

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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