Chili, aka Chile con Carne, aka Texas Bowl of Red, is the Official Dish of Texas, and growing up in the capital of Austin, I consider myself an ambassador of the Lone Star State and as you can imagine, chili is something I take very seriously. It’s one of those dishes whose perfection is debatable. To some Texans, putting beans in your chili is akin to worshiping Satan or supporting gay marriage. Cowboys have gone boots up and buried with their chile and spice mixture recipes tucked in their back pocket. There are hundreds of ways to make a bowl of chili but any cook in Texas worth the salt in his dry rub knows there is only one way to make it and that’s his way.
What follows is my chili recipe. I think it’s damn good and I’m sure you’ll like it too. Normally, I’m a no bean kind of guy because I’m a guy and I like meat in my chili and no filler. However, this recipe is for everyone and can be easily augmented to fill the needs of vegetarians, meatheads, spice freaks, and even authentic Texas chili enthusiasts. It is also a very versatile recipe that can be eaten out of a bowl with crushed up Saltine crackers (Dad’s favorite), over spaghetti or macaroni (for you pussies), or over Frito’s corn chips with cheddar cheese for my favorite dish of all time, Frito Pie.
Frito Pie is the closest thing to street food Texans have. Originally, a can of Wolf brand no bean chili was heated and poured into a small bag of Frito’s, topped with cheese and served to Texas State Fair goers to munch on while their walked around and played carnival games or watched the rodeo. One of my personal maxims is “Meat comes from animals, not from cans,” so I make my chili and don’t open it. I still serve it over Frito’s with cheese though, and sometimes sour cream and guacamole join the party and that’s when things get really interesting.
You will need:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, chopped
4 jalapenos, deseeded if you’re a wimp and chopped
Half pound ground beef 80-20, lean to fat ratio
Half pound ground pork
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 15 oz. can pinto beans
1 tbsp each ground cumin, paprika, chile powder*, and dried Mexican oregano
2 of your favorite dark beers
Salt and pepper
Begin by opening one of the beers and starting to drink it. Melt the butter in a large stock pot or cast iron Dutch oven over medium heat. Whisk the flour into the melted butter to form what the French call a roux. This is the secret to thickening gravies and Cajun gumbos, but that’s another recipe. Cook the roux over medium heat for two minutes until it turns a slightly darker blonde color. Add the onion, garlic and jalapeno, season with salt and pepper, and cook until softened, about five minutes stirring occasionally. Add the meat, season with salt and pepper, and cook until browned, about five more minutes still stirring. Add the tomatoes, beans, spices and the other beer. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer on low heat for an hour. Taste and season to your liking.
*Chile powder with an ‘e’ is crushed dried chiles like jalapenos. Chili powder with an ‘i’ is a pre-mixed combination of spices with other fillers. Get chile powder with an ‘e.’
As I said this recipe is easily adaptable. Substitute meat for more beans or beans for more meat. Substitute different types of sausages for meat, a Mexican chorizo works very well. Add different spices like coriander, cinnamon, turmeric, or curry powder. Add different chiles like poblanos, anahiems, serranos, or if you’re feeling particularly adventurous, habaneros. You can also omit the flour in the beginning and add masa harina (Mexican corn flour) at the end to achieve a similar thickness with a little more authenticity.
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