Food Find

Here’s a Saturday night food find for you chili heads out there. My family has always affectionately called the above offering-Texas Red.

The recipe is as follows:

• 3lbs very coarse ground chuck
• 2-3 tbs ground chili -more if you like your chili really hot-I use a combination of ground ancho and California red (don’t use chili powder as this contains other spices)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tsp ground Mexican oregano
• 1-2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 4oz can tomato paste
• 3 cans beef broth (15oz)
• 1 medium size onion chopped finely
• 3 crushed garlic pods
• 1tbs flour
• 1tbs corn masa
• 1/2c water

Brown ground chuck in 3 equal batches using a cast iron skillet or other heavy pot. Add onion and garlic to last batch and continue cooking for about 5 minutes. Combine all of the meat and add salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, and ground  chili. Continue to cook for another 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and mix well. Slowly add beef broth. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer slowly for about an hour. Mix flour, water, and masa to form a fairly thick surry. Bring chili to a boil and slowly add slurry. Reduce heat and continue to cook for another 10-15 minutes or until chili is desired thickness. Serve with warm tortillas and pinto beans on the side. Frank X. Tolbert, noted chili cook and columnist for the Dallas Morning News, always said that only fools or yankees would add beans to their chili. 

Enjoy!