Last year I did a recipe write up on Troutman’s Texas Red Chili. Like all things Texas, there are ways of making chili that elicits a two-hour argument about what a classical bowl of chili should contain. Most Texans will certainly turn their noses up at the addition of beans. I remember as a kid growing up in the Midwest, navy beans were always an integral part of chili but a true Texas bowl of red would never be laced with such a thing. That said, in Mexico beans are included in their chili, probably as a cheap filler to cut down on the quantity of meat used, as well as their popularity and availability.
At the time, my last Texas Red recipe also included tomatoes, which again are often considered sacrilege to a true bowl of the chili as well. So for Round #3 of the SSC Series, I’m going back to chili basics or the way it was originally intended to be made before it morphed into the varieties that we currently see out there today.
So where did this stew originate and what were its first true ingredients? Chile Con Carne dates back probably to the time of the Aztecs. The first written account was of a Franciscan monk taking chili pepper seasoning used by the indigenous locals to spice up a variety of dishes, and combined it with carne or meat the Spanish brought to the new world, thus chili with meat was born. The first recorded recipe for the stew was during the Mexican-American War dating back to 1857. They took dried beef, suet, dried chili peppers and salt, which were pounded together, formed into bricks and left to dry, which could then be boiled in pots in an army encampment. It soon became a Tex-Mex favorite, usually among the working classes, for its relatively cheap but filling qualities.
Chili Con Carne was thus introduced to the rest of the nation probably around the time of the 1893 Chicago Columbian Exposition giving Americans their first taste of the stuff. In 1977 the Texas Legislature designated Chili Con Carne as the official dish of Texas; no beans and no tomatoes!!
Chili has thus become a staple of American cuisine. As we know it has morphed into the use of a number of ingredients such as the aforementioned beans and tomatoes. There is also vegetarian, verde, white, chicken, canned and brick varieties. But let’s go back to the basic stew that was first concocted by Friar Bernardino de Sahagun and cook up a steaming, hot bowl of Chili con Carne!!
Chili Con Carne
Course. Lunch or Dinner. Main Dish. Beef.
Cuisine. Tex-Mex
Makes. 4 to 6 servings
Takes. 45 minutes prep and 5-6 hours cooking
Ingredients
2-pounds chopped chili or stew meat (I use chuck or short rib)
3-dried ancho chilies
3-dried guajillo chilies
4-dried pasilla chilies
2 canned chipotle chilies in adobo sauce plus 2 tsp of the adobo sauce itself
1 poblano pepper diced
2 jalapeno or serrano peppers, de-seeded and diced
1-large white onion chopped – reserve a portion for garnish
1-whole garlic head, cloves peeled
2-cups beef stock
1-bottle beer (I use Negro Modelo)
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
2-tablespoons chili powder
1-tablespoon cumin powder
2-teaspoons cayenne pepper (adjust to desired heat level)
1-teaspoon ancho chili power
2-teaspoons of Mexican oregano
1-tablespoon of Tony Chacheres seasoning
For Garnish:
Reserved chopped white onions
Mexican shredded cheese

Directions
Take the dried chilies and cut them lengthwise removing the stems and seeds. Place the chilies in a bowl of hot water to steep for about 30-40 minutes or until pliable.
To a blender add the soaked chilies, the garlic cloves and the chipotle peppers with the adobo sauce. Add to that 1 cup of the soaking liquid and blend to a smooth puree. Strain the puree through a fine sieve pressing workable batches through with a rubber spatula until all the puree passes into a bowl. Discard the leftovers in the sieve and set the strained puree to the side.
Fire up your smoker with a few chunks of oak, mesquite or your choice. Place your whole chuck roast still cold from the refrigerator onto the smoker to pick up as much smoke as possible. 1-2 hours should be sufficient, try to keep the IT below 130*F. This step is optional, although it adds another rich dimension of flavor.
Next, cut the meat into bite sized pieces and brown in some lard or oil in a large pan (preferably cast iron) to establish flavor and color through the Milliard reaction. Season with the Tony C’s. Drain the liquid and fat and set the meat aside.
Take and combine all of the seasonings (with the exception of the Tony C’s) into a bowl and set aside.
In a large (minimum 5-quart) cast iron or enameled pot, add some cooking oil and sweat the onions and the fresh chilies until soft and translucent. While stirring add about 1/4 of the spice blend and continue cooking for about 2 minutes. Increase the heat and de-glaze the pot with the bottle of beer and reduce everything by about half.
Reduce the heat and add the chile puree bringing everything to a simmer. Continue to cook stirring occasionally for about 15 minutes. Next add the browned meat, the beef stock and 1/2 of the remaining spice mix into the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered until the meat is fully tender and the stew is thickened, approximately 2-3 hours.
Finally add the vinegar and the remaining seasoning, stirring to incorporate. Continue to simmer for about another 30 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the chili to cool for about 30-60 minutes or as long as overnight to allow the flavors to meld.
Serve
In bowls, garnishing with Mexican cheese and the chopped white onions. Serve with crusty bread or crackers and ice cold beer!!

This is chili at it's very basic and some would say it's finest. No arguing that it's delicious, hearty and stick to your bones good!! But if adding tomatoes or beans or any number of things makes you happy, then by all means do so!! Make chili anytime but especially on those upcoming cold winter days.
Troutman has a large bowl of Chili Con Carne in front of him with a cold bottle of Negro Modelo to wash it down, so I'm outta here!! Adios muchachos !!!!
At the time, my last Texas Red recipe also included tomatoes, which again are often considered sacrilege to a true bowl of the chili as well. So for Round #3 of the SSC Series, I’m going back to chili basics or the way it was originally intended to be made before it morphed into the varieties that we currently see out there today.
So where did this stew originate and what were its first true ingredients? Chile Con Carne dates back probably to the time of the Aztecs. The first written account was of a Franciscan monk taking chili pepper seasoning used by the indigenous locals to spice up a variety of dishes, and combined it with carne or meat the Spanish brought to the new world, thus chili with meat was born. The first recorded recipe for the stew was during the Mexican-American War dating back to 1857. They took dried beef, suet, dried chili peppers and salt, which were pounded together, formed into bricks and left to dry, which could then be boiled in pots in an army encampment. It soon became a Tex-Mex favorite, usually among the working classes, for its relatively cheap but filling qualities.
Chili Con Carne was thus introduced to the rest of the nation probably around the time of the 1893 Chicago Columbian Exposition giving Americans their first taste of the stuff. In 1977 the Texas Legislature designated Chili Con Carne as the official dish of Texas; no beans and no tomatoes!!
Chili has thus become a staple of American cuisine. As we know it has morphed into the use of a number of ingredients such as the aforementioned beans and tomatoes. There is also vegetarian, verde, white, chicken, canned and brick varieties. But let’s go back to the basic stew that was first concocted by Friar Bernardino de Sahagun and cook up a steaming, hot bowl of Chili con Carne!!
Chili Con Carne
Course. Lunch or Dinner. Main Dish. Beef.
Cuisine. Tex-Mex
Makes. 4 to 6 servings
Takes. 45 minutes prep and 5-6 hours cooking
Ingredients
2-pounds chopped chili or stew meat (I use chuck or short rib)
3-dried ancho chilies
3-dried guajillo chilies
4-dried pasilla chilies
2 canned chipotle chilies in adobo sauce plus 2 tsp of the adobo sauce itself
1 poblano pepper diced
2 jalapeno or serrano peppers, de-seeded and diced
1-large white onion chopped – reserve a portion for garnish
1-whole garlic head, cloves peeled
2-cups beef stock
1-bottle beer (I use Negro Modelo)
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
2-tablespoons chili powder
1-tablespoon cumin powder
2-teaspoons cayenne pepper (adjust to desired heat level)
1-teaspoon ancho chili power
2-teaspoons of Mexican oregano
1-tablespoon of Tony Chacheres seasoning
For Garnish:
Reserved chopped white onions
Mexican shredded cheese
Directions
Take the dried chilies and cut them lengthwise removing the stems and seeds. Place the chilies in a bowl of hot water to steep for about 30-40 minutes or until pliable.
To a blender add the soaked chilies, the garlic cloves and the chipotle peppers with the adobo sauce. Add to that 1 cup of the soaking liquid and blend to a smooth puree. Strain the puree through a fine sieve pressing workable batches through with a rubber spatula until all the puree passes into a bowl. Discard the leftovers in the sieve and set the strained puree to the side.
Fire up your smoker with a few chunks of oak, mesquite or your choice. Place your whole chuck roast still cold from the refrigerator onto the smoker to pick up as much smoke as possible. 1-2 hours should be sufficient, try to keep the IT below 130*F. This step is optional, although it adds another rich dimension of flavor.
Next, cut the meat into bite sized pieces and brown in some lard or oil in a large pan (preferably cast iron) to establish flavor and color through the Milliard reaction. Season with the Tony C’s. Drain the liquid and fat and set the meat aside.
Take and combine all of the seasonings (with the exception of the Tony C’s) into a bowl and set aside.
In a large (minimum 5-quart) cast iron or enameled pot, add some cooking oil and sweat the onions and the fresh chilies until soft and translucent. While stirring add about 1/4 of the spice blend and continue cooking for about 2 minutes. Increase the heat and de-glaze the pot with the bottle of beer and reduce everything by about half.
Reduce the heat and add the chile puree bringing everything to a simmer. Continue to cook stirring occasionally for about 15 minutes. Next add the browned meat, the beef stock and 1/2 of the remaining spice mix into the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered until the meat is fully tender and the stew is thickened, approximately 2-3 hours.
Finally add the vinegar and the remaining seasoning, stirring to incorporate. Continue to simmer for about another 30 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the chili to cool for about 30-60 minutes or as long as overnight to allow the flavors to meld.
Serve
In bowls, garnishing with Mexican cheese and the chopped white onions. Serve with crusty bread or crackers and ice cold beer!!
This is chili at it's very basic and some would say it's finest. No arguing that it's delicious, hearty and stick to your bones good!! But if adding tomatoes or beans or any number of things makes you happy, then by all means do so!! Make chili anytime but especially on those upcoming cold winter days.
Troutman has a large bowl of Chili Con Carne in front of him with a cold bottle of Negro Modelo to wash it down, so I'm outta here!! Adios muchachos !!!!
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