Texas Chili

Make Ahead and Storage

Keeps in the fridge for 4 days. Reheat until piping hot all the way through.

Texas Chili: The Method

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1. Brown the beef in the oil in batches for 8 minutes each and set aside.

   Mark done Start 8 min timer

2. Blend the soaked chillies with 100 ml of their water to a smooth paste.

   Mark done

3. Fry the onions in the same pot for 6 minutes, add the garlic, cumin, paprika and oregano for 1 minute, then the chilli paste.

   Mark done Start 6 min timer

4. Return the beef, add the tomatoes, stock and salt and bring to a simmer.

   Mark done

5. Cook partly covered for 2 hours, stirring now and then, until the sauce is thick and the beef is tender.

   Mark done Start 2 hr timer

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Tips for Success

• Brown the beef in batches.
• Do not let the spices scorch.
• Stir now and then so it does not catch.
• It tastes better the next day.

Behind the Recipe

The first sign it is going well is the smell: dried chillies and cumin toasting in the pan and turning dark and fragrant. Take them off the heat the moment you smell it, because scorched chilli turns the whole pot bitter.

This version is made with cubes of beef chuck, not mince, and has no beans. The long simmer breaks the chuck down into soft, shreddable pieces in a thick red sauce. Brown the beef in batches, because crowding the pan steams it. Do not skip the browning. It builds the base of the flavour.

Soak the dried chillies in hot water for 20 minutes, then blend them with some of the soaking water into a smooth paste. Stir it into the onions and spices, add the beef, tomatoes and stock, then simmer, partly covered, for 2 hours, stirring now and then.

The chilli is ready when the sauce is thick and the beef falls apart.

What to Put Next to It

Cornbread · Rice · Soured cream · Grated cheddar

Sides from the same cuisine on this site: Creamy Coleslaw, Philadelphia Soft Pretzels, Boston Baked Beans.

Changing the Recipe

• Dried chilli flakes can stand in for the chillies. Heat varies a great deal between chillies and between jars, so start with a small pinch and add more to taste.
• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the stand-in usually given when you are out of fresh garlic; it will not brown the same way, and it burns easily, so add it with the liquid.
• Fresh herbs work in place of the dried oregano at roughly three times the quantity — a teaspoon of dried is about a tablespoon of fresh, chopped.

What's in a Serving

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. How the figures are worked out.

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