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Texas Red Chili Recipe

DoctorShavegood

"A Boy Named Sue"
I thought I would post a chili recipe that is totally different than what you probably make and eat now. It has no tomatoes or beans in the sauce. Its a very traditional old Texas way of making chili. Two women from San Antonio created “chili’ as we know from research. The Yankees twisted everything up with noodles, spaghetti sauce and beans..lol. The finished product has a very bold beef and pepper flavor. It's not a hot recipe, its a beef first recipe with dried peppers background…so feel free to add some jalapeno or habanero pepper's while cooking. Here's my rendition:

Texas Red Chili

Serves about 4
Ingredients:
2 to 3 ounces, whole chilies; guajillo, pasilla or ancho. About 8-12 chilies total. I prefer the guajillo and ancho peppers.
2 pounds(after being trimmed) of Beef Chuck, flank or brisket cut into ¾ inch pieces. Other cuts of beef are welcomed. In a pinch use a chili grind ground beef. You’re butcher will know what I’m talking about.
1-1/2 tablespoon of cumin
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1-1/2 white onion chopped very fine. Food processor works well to get the onion extremely fine
6 finely diced large cloves of garlic (or put them in the processor with the onions)
1 can of low-sodium beef broth
1/2 can of low-sodium chicken broth
1-1/2 tablespoons of white distilled vinegar
Pinch or two or three of Mexican Oregano
Salt and Pepper to taste
Prep:
1. Place the chilies in a hot skillet and toast both sides over low heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Don't let them burn or they'll turn the chili very bitter. Place in a bowl of very hot water until soft. Approx. 15-20 minutes. Use a small plate to help keep the chilies submerged. Save the pepper water for later.
2. Drain the chilies. Remove stem, cut open chili's and rinse seeds off being careful not to wash away the flesh. Place chilies into blender or food processor with cumin, pinch Mexican oregano, pinch of pepper and salt, ¼ cup of pepper water. Blend until it is completely smooth like ketchup. The paste/sauce should look like brilliant red. You can also place the paste/sauce into a strainer to get rid of any seeds or skins. Set aside.
3. Heat enamel coated Dutch oven on medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil until it starts to shimmer. Add beef, don't crowd, move or stir around. This process takes 3 or 4 batches. Add vegetable oil between batches. Brown on all sides and remove to separate bowl.
4. Dice beef pieces into very small ¼" sizes.
5. Add the diced onions and garlic to the same pot where you browned the beef. Cook for about 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Scrape all brown(fond) off the bottom of pot as onion cooks. The fond has a lot of flavor. Add the beef and chicken broth stock and the pepper paste. Add beef. Bring to a boil then cut heat back to very low heat where only a few bubbles breaking the surface. Water or chicken stock maybe added if it becomes too thick. Cook low and slow for about 2 hours. Stir often to make sure it is not burning on the bottom. You can also place your pot in the oven at 300F. Actually this is the way I prefer to do it.
6. After about 2 hours test the chili for meat tenderness. When ready, stir in the vinegar and salt & pepper to taste. Gently simmer for another 10 minutes. Turn off heat and let stand for about 30 minutes to allow beef to absorb sauce.
7. Serve with lime wedges.

Chili's being reconstituted
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Browned and minced beef
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Masa


All in the pot...nope I removed some for eating.
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Just put it in the bowl already...I'm hungry. Where's the spoon? Amateur....
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Thanks, Aaron. This has been copied and pasted and I will be trying it shortly after Christmas and I can't wait. I've never made chili this way before. Those of us ignorant types from New England use beans and tomatoes :lol:
 

DoctorShavegood

"A Boy Named Sue"
That is a tasty looking Chili Aaron. I'll be making a Texas Red myself soon. Thanks for the recipe.

I can't wait to see it...pictures, lots of pictures.

Thanks I have several others similar to this one.

I knew you would have few recipes tucked away.

Thanks, Aaron. This has been copied and pasted and I will be trying it shortly after Christmas and I can't wait. I've never made chili this way before. Those of us ignorant types from New England use beans and tomatoes :lol:

Chris, I like the tomato based recipes too. I like beans in my chili as well. This is just a throw-back recipe where the real star is the "chili"...as it should be.

Back when the brothers and myself were all in high school. Mom would make a huge pot of beans at the beginning of the week by Wednesday or Thursday she would throw two pounds of browned ground beef into the pot of beans and make chili. How else do feed three hungry-all-the-time-boys and dad?
 
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Sounds great!
Looks like a bit of traditional Mexican Red Mole influence there. I've had good luck with those, I'll have to try this too.
Thanks!
 

DoctorShavegood

"A Boy Named Sue"
Sounds great!
Looks like a bit of traditional Mexican Red Mole influence there. I've had good luck with those, I'll have to try this too.
Thanks!

That's right...except no chocolate. The chili sauce can also be used with enchiladas or tacos

Omg! That looks fantastic. Now considering calling in sick to work, so I can stay home and make this :)

If you make this, reserve some to take back to your boss...all sins will then be forgiven.

Thanks for posting. That's very much like what I make. Less the sugar and vinegar.

Depending on the peppers it can be somewhat bitter(not a bad thing). The small amount of sugar helps with that and the vinegar gives it a brightness.
 
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Sounds so delicious so we had to make our chili colorado ....almost the same recipe. We had pork instead of beef. And no sugar, vinegar, or masa. We made a combination plate, with chili rellenos, home made refried beans and yellow rice.



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DoctorShavegood

"A Boy Named Sue"
Ooooh...very nice. What kind of peppers are in the skillet? I love the pastiness of the finally pork chili dish.

What were your chili rellenos stuffed with?

Very good Mr...wish we knew your first name.
 
They are New Mexico chiles.
The chiles are stuffed with Cream cheese, monterey jack, and white cheddar. Not traditional but tastes great.
 
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All of this looks great, being a life long northerner, I don't believe I've ever had chili that wasn't tomato based. Copied and saved. Thanks.
 

DoctorShavegood

"A Boy Named Sue"
All of this looks great, being a life long northerner, I don't believe I've ever had chili that wasn't tomato based. Copied and saved. Thanks.

Thanks Bob. What makes chili so good is its ease of preparation, and it taste great. Just dump and heat, very simple, very easy. This recipe is not as easy to make. You are actually using real food, like onions instead of onion powder, real garlic instead of granulated garlic, real peppers instead of chili powder, etc. The championship chili cook-offs rarely use real food other than the beef. It's all a series of dumps and most include tomatoes somewhere allow the way, usually canned paste or sauce. This recipe is a throw-back to a time before all that.
 

DoctorShavegood

"A Boy Named Sue"
A little secret trick I learned while watching the chili champion cook-offs are adding prunes. That's right, prunes. It gives a certain sweetness but it makes the chili glossy or shiny. Just 2 or 3 needed. Take them out after about and hour...they will burst.
 
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