Our Favorite Texas Beef Chili Food

TEXAS CHILI RECIPE

Steps:

• Add vegetable oil and onions to a large dutch oven on medium heat and cook until the onions are translucent, about 6-8 minutes.
• Add the garlic, and cook for 1 minute stirring well.
• Add the ground beef, breaking apart as you cook it for 6-8 minutes but leave the chunks a bit larger, and allow the beef to sear well.
• Add in the salt, ancho chile powder, cumin, paprika and brown sugar and stir well, cooking for 1 minute.
• Add in the diced tomatoes, and tomato paste and whisk well until the tomato paste is well mixed in.
• Add in the beef broth and bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium low and cook for 1 hour, stirring every fifteen minutes.
• Chili is done when the beef broth is reduced to the right consistency where the ground beef is not lost in the gravy.

OUR FAVORITE TEXAS BEEF CHILI

Steps:

• Heat a large, dry skillet over high heat and toast peppers in batches, until browned in spots but not burned, 30 to 45 seconds per side. Toast garlic cloves in their skins in the same skillet, tossing, until browned in spots, about 3 minutes.
• If chiles are dusty, rub them gently with a damp paper towel. Cut peppers in half lengthwise; remove stems and seeds. Place chiles de árbol in a small heatproof bowl. Place all other chiles in a large heatproof bowl. Pour very hot water over chiles until submerged and let soak for 45 minutes, placing a plate on top of chiles to keep them submerged if necessary
• Peel garlic cloves and place cloves in blender. Add all the soaked chiles except for the chiles de árbol along with 4 cups of the soaking liquid. Add 1 tablespoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, and honey. Purée until smooth. Taste and add chiles de árbol to your preference (start with 4 for mild or 6 for medium heat; add additional to taste if you would like more heat).
• Strain the purée through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl, using a rubber spatula to press the purée through. Set puree aside.
• In a large Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of lard. Add 1/3 of the beef, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and lightly brown the meat, 6 to 8 minutes per batch. Transfer to a bowl, reserve, and repeat with remaining 2 batches of beef, seasoning each with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
• Lower the heat to medium and add 1 more tablespoon lard. Cook the onion with 1/4 teaspoon salt until soft, stirring, about 5 minutes. Add cumin and cook, stirring, 1 minute more. Add the chile purée and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring, until purée has lost its raw chile flavor, about 15 minutes. Add 4 cups broth, oregano, and the beef. Combine the masa harina with 2 cups water and add to the mixture. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook, uncovered, until meat is tender and broth is thickened, about 3 hours.
• Add sugar and vinegar 1 tablespoon at a time, tasting to see if the chili needs more. Add cayenne, salt, and pepper to taste. Allow the chili to sit at least an hour and up to overnight to allow the flavors to meld. Serve with lime wedges, sour cream, onion, jalapeño, and/or cilantro.

TEXAS-STYLE CHILI CON CARNE

Steps:

• Mix the chili powders, cumin, oregano, coriander, cinnamon and cornmeal in a small bow and stir in ½ cup water to form a thick paste; set aside.
• Season the beef with the salt; set aside.
• In a large pot or Dutch oven, fry the bacon over medium heat, stirring frequently so it doesn't stick, until the fat renders and the bacon crisps, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Pour all but a few teaspoons of fat from the pot into a small bowl; set aside.
• Increase the heat to medium-high. Sear the meat in three batches (it should be in a single layer), until well browned on one side, about 4 minutes per batch, adding more of the reserved bacon fat as necessary. (Hint: Once the meat is in the pan, don't stir or touch it - leaving it alone will allow it to develop a nice brown crust on one side.) Place the seared meat on a plate. Add about ¼ cup of water to the pot (it will smoke), and scrape the bottom with a wooden spoon to release all of the flavorful brown bits. Pour the dark liquid over the seared meat.
• Reduce the heat to medium and add 3 tablespoons of the reserved bacon fat to the pot. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and jalapeños and cook 2 minutes more. Add the reserved chili paste and sauté until fragrant, a few minutes (it will look clumpy and stick to the bottom a bit - that's okay).
• Add the beef broth and stir with a whisk until the spice mixture is completely dissolved. Scrape the bottom of the pot with the whisk to release any spices. Stir in the the water, beer, crushed tomatoes, molasses and cocoa powder. Add the reserved bacon and seared beef (along with the juices from the beef on the bottom of the plate) back to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cover, leaving the lid just barely ajar. Simmer, stirring occasionally so the bottom doesn't burn, until the meat is meltingly tender and the juices are thickened, 2½ to 3 hours. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Ladle the chile con carne into bowls and serve with cilantro, cheese, and lime wedges.
• Note: When selecting the meat, be sure not to buy anything generically labeled "stew meat." Also, you will lose about ½ pound after trimming the fat, so if you buy the meat already trimmed and cubed, you'll only need about 3½ pounds.
• Tip: To make bacon easier to chop, try placing it in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes first. The colder it is, the easier it is to cut.
• Note: Always be careful when handling jalapeño peppers. Wash your hands well when done and avoid touching your eyes.
• Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The chili can be frozen for up to 3 months. Before serving, defrost it in the refrigerator for 12 hours and then reheat it on the stovetop over medium heat until hot.

GUY'S TEXAS CHILI

Steps:

• Remove the stems and seeds from the dried chiles and tear them into large pieces. Toast the chiles in a large skillet over medium-high heat until they start to change color, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and add hot water to just cover the chiles. Cover and let steam for 15 minutes. Place the chiles and liquid in a blender and puree until smooth. Set aside.
• In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, combine the olive oil, onion, garlic, bell pepper, Fresno chile and Anaheim chiles and cook until the onion is translucent, 6 to 7 minutes. Add both kinds of beef and cook until browned and cooked through, 7 to 8 minutes.
• Add the flour, chili powder, cumin, black pepper and cayenne and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Deglaze the pot by adding the beer and scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the stock, blended chiles and salt and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer.
• Partially cover the pot and simmer until the beef is tender and the chili has thickened, about 2 hours. Remove from the heat. Stir in the cilantro, cover and keep warm until serving. Serve with toppings.

OUR FAVORITE CHILI(ATK)

Steps:

• Beans: Combine 3 tablespoons salt, 4 quarts water, and beans in large Dutch oven and bring to boil over high heat. Remove pot from heat, cover, and let stand 1 hour. Drain and rinse well.
• Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees.
• Chili paste: Place ancho chiles in 12-inch skillet set over medium-high heat; toast, stirring frequently, until flesh is fragrant, 4 to 6 minutes, reducing heat if chiles begin to smoke. Transfer to bowl of food processor and cool. Do not wash out skillet. Add árbol chiles, cornmeal, oregano, cumin, cocoa, and ½ teaspoon salt to food processor with toasted ancho chiles; process until finely ground, about 2 minutes. With processor running, very slowly add ½ cup broth until smooth paste forms, about 45 seconds, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. Transfer paste to small bowl.
• Chili: Place onions in now-empty(uncleaned) processor bowl and pulse until roughly chopped, about four 1-second pulses. Add jalapenos and pulse until consistency of chunky salsa, about four 1-second pulses, scraping down bowl as necessary.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, until moisture has evaporated and vegetables are softened, 7 to 9 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add chili paste, tomatoes, and molasses; stir until chili paste is thoroughly combined. Add remaining 2 cups broth and drained beans; bring to boil, then reduce heat to simmer.
• Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Pat beef dry with paper towels and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. Add half of beef and cook until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer meat to Dutch oven. Add ½ bottle lager to skillet, scraping bottom of pan to loosen any browned bits, and bring to simmer. Transfer lager to Dutch oven. Repeat with remaining tablespoon oil, steak, and lager. Once last addition of lager has been added to Dutch oven, stir to combine and return mixture to simmer.
• Cover pot and transfer to oven. Cook until meat and beans are fully tender, 1½ to 2 hours. Let chili stand, uncovered, 10 minutes. Stir well and season to taste with salt before serving.

REAL TEXAS CHILI

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Saute the beef cubes in the oil for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and stir in the garlic.
• In a small bowl, combine the chili powder, cumin and flour. Sprinkle over the meat and stir until evenly coated. Crumble the oregano over the meat and pour in 1 1/2 cans of the broth.
• Add the salt and ground black pepper, stir together well, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and let simmer, partially covered for about 90 minutes. Pour in remaining broth and simmer 30 minutes more, until meat begins to fall apart. Cool, cover and refrigerate to allow the flavors to blend.