Tucson Chili Recipes

PAT'S FAMOUS BEEF AND PORK CHILI

Steps:

• In large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat until lightly crisp, stirring occasionally. Once the bacon is browned, add the garlic, onions, bell peppers, chili powder, cumin, chipotle chili powder, oregano, and smoked paprika and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook until the vegetables are tender and seasonings are aromatic. Add the beef and break it up with a wooden spoon. Once beef is broken up and beginning to brown, add the pork. Break up with wooden spoon like the beef, and brown, until no longer pink, roughly 4 minutes. Stir in the beer and beans. Toss together, then add the crushed and diced tomatoes. Turn the heat down to low and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper, if necessary. Transfer the chili to serving bowls and garnish with lime wedges, sour cream, shredded cheese, and sliced scallions.

ARIZONA ROADHOUSE CHILI

Steps:

• Place pinto beans in a large container and cover with several inches of cool water; let stand 8 hours to overnight.
• Cook and stir beef in a large stockpot over medium-high heat until crumbly, evenly browned, and no longer pink, 7 to 10 minutes. Drain and discard grease from pot.
• Drain pinto beans and add to stockpot; add onions, celery, carrots, garlic, red bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, Anaheim peppers, poblano peppers, diced tomatoes, guajillo chile powder, cumin, oregano, coriander, cinnamon, and hot pepper sauce. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook mixture at a simmer for about 3 hours.
• Stir beef granules into the chili and continue simmering until beans are very tender and disintegrate easily, 1 to 3 hours more, adding water as needed to keep beans and vegetables immersed in liquid. Thicken the chili with masa harina if you prefer a thicker texture. Season with salt just before serving.

TUCSON CHILI

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and garlic. Saute about 8 minutes or until onions are translucent. Add sirloin and cook until brown, breaking up meat with a spatula as it cooks. Add taco seasoning, basil, oregano, and thyme. Stir 2 minutes. Mix in tomato sauce, broth and tomato paste. Simmer until thickened stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, about 1 and a half hours. Mix in beans. Simmer for 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

EASY TUCSON CHILI DIP

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Rinse dried beef and pat dry. Chop coarsely.
• In large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese and sour cream until smooth and creamy.
• Gently stir in the chopped beef, chilies (do no drain), onion and chives.
• Place in 1 quart greased baking dish. Top with chopped pecans.
• Bake for 20 minutes or until puffed and bubbling around edges.
• Serve with crackers of your choice, we like Triscuit, Wheat Thins, Tortilla chips.

CHILE COLORADO/CON CARNE - TUCSON'S EL CHARRO

Steps:

• Cut the meat into 3/4" pieces. Put a handful at a time into a bag containing the flour, salt and pepper. Shake well. Repeat with the remaining meat.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add a batch of meat at a time into the hot oil, not overcrowding. Brown slowly.
• Add the Enchilada Sauce, garlic puree and oregano.
• Cook over low heat at least one hour, or until the meat is very tender, stirring frequently to prevent scorching. AAdd water if necessary.
• I put a lid on my pan, and cook the dish for several hours over the lowest possible heat. The meat must be tender!

TUCSON CHILI DIP

Steps:

• Rinse and pat dry dried beef. Chop coarsely and set aside.
• In large mixing bowl, blend together well the cream cheese and sour cream.
• Stir in the beef, green chiles (and juice), onion and chives.
• Pour into 1 quart greased baking dish.
• Sprinkle with pecans.
• Bake in preheated 350ºF oven approximately 20 minutes or until puffed and bubbly around the edges.