TEXAS CHILI RECIPE
from the kitchen of
Rick Rogstad
(spring 2001 version)
| The Base Ingredients | |||
| 12 lbs. | lean Chili meat | I like Chili meat more than ground beef, a bit more expensive but look for sales on round or sirloin and have it ground course | |
| 3 | Med. Onion | chopped medium to fine (8 c., 2 1/2 lbs.) | |
| 100 oz. | Crushed Tomatoes | more if you like it sweeter (#10 can = 100 oz. or 92 liq. oz.) | |
| 1 pt. | Home canned tomatoes | (32 liq. oz.) | |
| 2-4 | Beers | use to thin, or substitute water | |
| 3-5 | Beers | applied to chef as needed (adults only, please!) | |
| 2 tsp | Salt | some folks like seasoned salt | |
| 1 tsp | Black Pepper | ||
| 5 tsp | Cumin (Cominos), ground | ||
| 1 tsp | Cumin (Cominos), seed | ||
| 3 tsp | Oregano, ground | ||
| 1 tsp | Oregano, leaf | ||
| 1 huge | Head of Garlic | crushed and finely chopped | |
| 5 Tbsp | Chili Powder | balance with Ancho chiles | |
| 3 Tbsp | Chipotle Powder | ||
| The Chile Peppers | |||
| 26 | Serrano, pickled | look like small Jalapeno - quite hot | |
| 15 | Jalapeno, pickled | also quite hot | |
| 7 | Habanero, pickled | look like green to orange small bell pepper - hottest pepper on earth | |
| 15 | Ancho, large (or 8 Tbsp powdered) | deep red/brown dried - main ingredient in chili powder (4 oz) | |
| 1 c. | Poblano, chopped frozen | fresh form of Ancho | |
| 3 Tbsp | Serrano sauce | ||
| Anaheim powder | use at end to increase heat if needed | ||
| Any other Chile peppers you can find or may care to experiment with. BUT KNOW YOUR CHILES, they can smite thee with a vengeance if you be careless. | |||
| Directions | |
| 1. Prepare chiles by removing stems, slicing, and removing seeds. You may want to cut the Ancho into several strips as it will cook in better. For competition chili, people remove all traces of chili pepper lumps after cooking, as smoothness is judged. I don't do this; I chop them so they will cook in and disappear. | |
| 2. Brown meat, onion and garlic in oil. Add garlic last as it will not get bitter if there is some liquid to cook in first. | |
| 3. Add the rest except don't use all the beer at first. Use beer for thinning as it cooks. Cook on low heat until done (probably 4-8 hrs.). When it's smooth and you can't resist it any more, it's done. | |
| 4. Thicken with flour and water paste or corn starch if necessary (4c.) Even better, use 2 Tbsp arrowroot diluted in water paste. |
| Hints & Notes | |
| Use a large stock pot (16 Qt.); this makes a lot. We freeze containers for later use. | |
| If you're not used to HOT chili, use less or milder chiles. | |
| You may want to reserve some of the chili powder to add as it cooks, as it balances the Ancho. | |
| Chili is an art, not a science. Adjust to your heart's content. | |
| Serve with starches like tortillas or crackers. Starch absorbs some of the hot. Water just spreads it. Beer is good if you drink enough of it, but it's a slow remedy. |
| Loch Vale Collies | North Texas Collie Club |