It’s Superbowl Weekend and what better to go with the big game than a big bowl of homemade chili. I think everyone in Texas has a favorite chili recipe but no one seems to agree whether there should be beans or not. Well, I’ve had great chili both ways so I am not partial to one way or the other. I know some people say real Texas chili has no beans, but, I don’t agree. I’ve always had chili in Texas and I find it both ways, so that tells me there’s no “one way” to make your chili. The best thing is to find a simple recipe that you can go back to time and again. Also, your go-to recipe shouldn’t include a prepackaged pouch of spices, that’s just not right. This is just such a recipe and it does not have beans.
This recipe is very flexible and you can customize it to meet you heat tolerance and available spices. It’s loosely based on the chili recipe provided by Congressman J. J. Pickle from the 1oth District, TX. That would be the Austin area at the time he was in Congress. This also is the district that LBJ represented from 1937 until 1949.
This will serve 6 to 8. You can refrigerate or freeze any leftovers.
Ingredients
- 3 lbs chuck roast, chili ground or small cubed
- 3 tbls corn oil or vegetable oil
- 3 large onions, chopped
- 6 garlic cloves, chopped
- Hot water
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 4 tbsp chili powder
- 2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 3 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp paprika
- 1 tsp tabasco
- 1 jalapeno, chopped
- 1 8oz can tomato paste
- 1 cup chopped tomatoes (or 1 8oz can of tomato sauce)
- 3 tbsp masa harina (or flour)
Directions
Put the corn oil into a large, cast-iron pot. Add the meat, onions and garlic and sear over high heat, stirring constantly, until the meat turns light grey. Add the hot water to just cover the meat, onions and garlic. Then add the remaining ingredients EXCEPT or the masa harina. If needed, you can add a little more water if the mixture is too thick. Reduce heat and simmer for at least 2 1/2 hours. On a low temp, this can go for hours. Skim of the grease. If the chili is too thin, sprinkle with the masa harina and stir, then simmer for 15 additional minutes to thicken.
To serve this, put into a bowl and add your favorite condiments. I like to sprinkle it with cheddar cheese and some finely chopped onions. You can also add a spoonful of sour cream. This chili goes really well with some homemade cornbread or the Texas favorite Saltine crackers.