Authentic Texas Ranch Style Chili Recipes

THE BEST AUTHENTIC TEXAS CHILI RECIPE

Steps:

• Cut the stems off the dried chilies and remove all of the seeds. Place them in a blender with 1 cup of warm beef stock. Cover the blender and let them soak in the beef stock for 30 minutes.
• While the dried chilies are soaking, cut the beef chuck roast into 1/2 inch cubes and dice the white onion and jalapeños.
• In a bowl, mix together the chili powder, paprika, ground cumin, garlic powder, dried oregano, masa flour, ground cinnamon, cocoa powder, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
• After 30 minutes, puree the chilies and beef stock together to create a homemade chili paste. Set aside.
• Heat olive oil in a medium cast-iron Dutch oven. Brown the beef chuck cubes on all sides. If there is not enough room in the Dutch oven, brown the beef chuck cubes in batches. Do not remove the brown buts or liquid from the Dutch oven - this has all the flavor and will be used for the Texas Chili. Remove the browned beef chuck and set aside.
• Using the remaining liquid in the saucepan, sauté the onions till translucent. Then add the diced jalapeños.
• Deglaze the Dutch oven by adding the Shiner beer, remaining 2 cups of beef stock, and apple cider vinegar. Then scrape the bottom of the pan with a spatula to get all the bits of flavor incorporated.
• Add the beef chuck back into the Dutch oven along with the homemade chili paste, dry ingredient mix, and brown sugar. Mix all of the ingredients together and bring to a boil.
• Once it comes to a boil, lower the heat, slightly cover the Dutch oven, and simmer for 2 - 2.5 hours or until the beef chuck is tender. Make sure you stir the Texas Chili occasionally.
• Once the beef chuck is tender, serve the Texas Chili with a dollop of sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, sliced jalapeños, and a side of cornbread.

TRUE TEXAS CHILI

Steps:

• 1. Place the chiles in a straight-sided large skillet over medium-low heat and gently toast the chiles until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Don't let them burn or they'll turn bitter. Place the chiles in a bowl and cover them with very hot water and soak until soft, 15 to 45 minutes, turning once or twice.
• 2. Drain the chiles; split them and remove stems and seeds (a brief rinse helps remove seeds, but don't wash away the flesh). Place the chiles in the bowl of a blender and add the cumin, black pepper, 1 tablespoon salt and 1/4 cup water. Purée the mixture, adding more water as needed (and occasionally scraping down the sides of the blender jar), until a smooth, slightly fluid paste forms (you want to eliminate all but the tiniest bits of skin.) Set the chile paste aside.
• 3. Return skillet to medium-high heat and melt 2 tablespoons of the lard. When it begins to smoke, swirl skillet to coat and add half of the beef. Lightly brown on at least two sides, about 3 minutes per side, reducing the heat if the meat threatens to burn. Transfer to a bowl and repeat with 2 more tablespoons of lard and the remaining beef. Reserve.
• 4. Let the skillet cool slightly, and place it over medium-low heat. Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of lard in the skillet; add the onion and garlic and cook gently for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the stock, the remaining 2 cups water and gradually whisk in the masa harina to avoid lumps. Stir in the reserved chile paste, scraping the bottom of the skillet with a spatula to loosen any browned bits. Add the reserved beef (and any juices in the bowl) and bring to a simmer over high heat. Reduce heat to maintain the barest possible simmer (just a few bubbles breaking the surface) and cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is tender but still somewhat firm and 1 1/2 to 2 cups of thickened but still liquid sauce surrounds the cubes of meat, about 2 hours.
• 5. Stir in the brown sugar and vinegar thoroughly and add more salt to taste; gently simmer 10 minutes more. At this point, it may look like there is excess sauce. Turn off the heat and let the chili stand for at least 30 minutes, during which time the meat will absorb about half of the remaining sauce in the skillet, leaving the meat bathed in a thick, somewhat fluid sauce. Stir in additional broth or water if the mixture seems too dry. If the mixture seems a bit loose and wet, allow it to simmer a bit more (sometimes we like to partially crush the cubes of beef with the back of a spoon to let them absorb more sauce). Adjust the balance of flavors with a bit of additional salt, sugar, or vinegar, if you like.
• 6. Reheat gently and serve in individual bowls with a dollop of sour cream on top and a lime wedge on the side.

AUTHENTIC TEXAS RANCH-STYLE CHILI

Steps:

• 1. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy large pot with tight-fitting lid. Lightly brown beef, removing as it browns. Add more oil as needed.
• 2. After all meat is browned and removed from pot, add garlic and onion to pot and saute until tender and lightly browned. Return all meat to pan.
• 3. Combine chili powder, flour, and cumin (I don't always crush the cumin seeds, just leave whole). Sprinkle this mixture over the meat; stir over low heat until meat is evenly coated, about 2 minutes.
• 4. Stir in oregano, salt, cayenne, beef broth and water. Bring to a boil, stirring often. Lower heat, simmer slowly, with lid on for about 2 hours, or until meat is very tender.
• 5. Sprinkle in the cornmeal, stirring constantly, until mixture is slightly thickened, 5 - 10 minutes. *It is best to let chili "rest" for 15 to 30 minutes before eating; it gives the meat a chance to absorb more of the sauce! Serve with hot white rice and pinto beans on the side, if desired.

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.

SEVEN-CHILE TEXAS CHILI

Steps:

• Heat the dried chiles (anchos, pasillas, costenos, guajillos, and chiles de arbol) in a dry, cast-iron skillet on medium for a couple of minutes on each side. Turn off the heat and then add enough water to the skillet to cover the chiles, and let them soak for half an hour.
• Meanwhile, in a large heavy pot, such as a Dutch oven, fry up your bacon. When done, remove from pan and crumble (Don't worry if you opt to eat a slice-you deserve it!) and leave the bacon grease in the pot (it should be about 3 tablespoons). In the pot, cook your beef in the bacon grease on medium heat, a few minutes on each side until lightly browned. You will probably have to cook these in 2 batches.
• Remove the browned beef from the pot, and add your onions. Cook on medium until clear. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Put the beef back in the pot, and mix in the coffee, the beer, water, bacon crumbles, cumin, cinnamon, clove, allspice, coriander, and cayenne. Add salt to taste and turn the heat up to high.
• Your soaking chiles should be soft by now. Drain and rinse, discarding the soaking water (it will be bitter) and place them in a blender along with the canned chipotle chiles and one cup of fresh water. Puree until nice and smooth and then add the chile puree to the chili pot.
• When chili begins to boil, turn heat down to low and let simmer for five hours, stirring occasionally. Taste it once an hour, and if the flavors are too muted, feel free to add more of any of the spices. Also, it starts to get too dry, add more liquid (your choice!).
• After 5 hours, take a Mexican hot chocolate disc, and finely grate 1/3 of it into the pot. Scoop out 1 cup of broth and add the masa harina. Mix it well and then reincorporate it back into the pot. Stir until chili is thickened.
• Let the chili simmer for another half hour or so. Taste and adjust seasonings. When done, serve with cheddar, onions and tortillas.

AUTHENTIC 1840 TEXAS CHILI

Steps:

• Render the fat to liquid.
• Add the beef, and brown lightly, then add onions and garlic.
• (IMPORTANT Do NOT drain the fat or drippings).
• Cook over medium heat, until onions are translucent, then add spices, stirring gently until blended.
• Continue over low heat for at least two hours, stirring every 30 minutes.
• Add salt to taste, though it doesn't need much.
• If it gets too thick, you can add water, but remember that chili is reputed to be able to stand a spoon up straight!
• Its edible after two hours, but improves vastly with time, so don't be afraid to cook 6 or 8 or ten hours --
• After you've tried the "original" recipe as above, you could add one or two jalapeno's, a single tomato and/or green pepper, just to fully appreciate how far this dish has evolved -- .