Reno Red Chili Recipes

AUTHENTIC MEXICAN CHILI RELLENOS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven's broiler and set the oven rack at about 6 inches from the heat source. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place peppers onto the prepared baking sheet, and cook under the preheated broiler until the skin of the peppers has blackened and blistered, about 10 minutes. Turn the peppers often to blacken all sides. Place the blackened peppers into a bowl, and tightly seal with plastic wrap. Allow the peppers to steam as they cool, about 15 minutes.
• Rinse cooled peppers under cold water to peel off the skins, and cut a slit along the long side of each pepper to remove the seeds and core. Rinse the peppers inside and out, and pat dry with paper towels. Stuff the peppers with strips of the cheese.
• Whisk the egg yolks in a bowl with the baking powder. In a second metal bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until the whites form stiff peaks. Gently fold the beaten egg whites into the yolk mixture. Place flour into a shallow bowl.
• Heat the vegetable shortening in a skillet over medium heat. Roll each stuffed pepper in flour, tap off excess flour, and dip the peppers into the egg mixture to coat both sides. Gently lay the coated peppers into the hot shortening. Fry peppers until lightly golden brown and the cheese has melted, about 5 minutes per side.

TEXAS RED CHILI

Steps:

• Toast dried chiles in a dry skillet over medium-high heat until fragrant and blistered, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove stem and seeds; discard. Transfer chiles to a large measuring cup or bowl, and cover with hot water. Keep chiles submerged with a small bowl, and let soak for 30 minutes. Remove from water, and puree in a blender with 1/2 cup soaking liquid.
• Heat a large heavy pot over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil. Season beef with 2 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Brown beef in batches, adding more oil as needed, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
• Add remaining tablespoon oil, the onions, garlic, and minced chiles to pot, and cook over medium-high heat until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. (If the pan gets too dark, add a little water, and scrape up browned bits with a wooden spoon to deglaze.) Add cumin and oregano, and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
• Stir in browned beef and chile puree. Add tomato puree, water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer gently, partially covered, until meat is very tender and juices are thick, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. (Check pot once an hour for excessive evaporation; if chili seems dry, add a little water.) Season chili with salt, and stir in vinegar. Serve immediately (or refrigerate for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months; reheat in a pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally).

RENO RED CHILI CON CARNE

Steps:

• Brown meat in oil or fat, adding black pepper to taste. Drain meat and add chili powder, cumin, MSG, garlic and chopped onion.
• Cook for 30 - 45 minutes using as little liquid as possible. Add water only as necessary.
• Stir often.
• Remove skins from boiled chile pods.
• Mash the pulp and add to meat mixture. Strain oregano tea, then add to meat mixture along with paprika, vinegar, 2/3 of the beef broth, green chiles, stewed tomatoes and Tabasco sauce. Simmer 30 - 45 minutes.
• Stir often.
• Dissolve masa flour into remaining beef broth then pour into chili.
• Simmer another 30 minutes, stirring often.
• Makes 1 potful.

RENO RED CHILI

Steps:

• Remove stems, membrane and seeds from chili pods, cover with water and simmer for 30 minutes.
• Remove pods and blend into paste.
• Reserve the chili water.
• Chop onions.
• Crack cumin with rolling pin or grind with mortar and pestle.
• Brew 1 teaspoon oregano leaves in 1 cup of water.
• Brown meat in several batches, add black pepper while browning.
• Brown onions with meat then remove with slotted spoon and reserve.
• Combine browned meat and onion with the following: cumin, 8 heaping tablespoons of commercial chili powder, 3 cloves garlic (pressed) and MSG.
• Cook ten minutes, using just enough pepper water to keep from burning.
• Stir constantly.
• This cooks the spices into the meat.
• Add chili paste and half of oregano water.
• Cook slowly, adding pepper water as necessary to prevent scorching.
• Add additional oregano to taste, salt to taste.
• The meat should be tender in around 1-1/2 hours.
• Cooking Variations:.
• Add 1 to 2 cans 8 ounce cans of tomato sauce.
• Hand cut meat to about the size of a navy bean.
• (A lot of contestants now use half chili grind and half hand cut).
• Add 2 tablespoons of vinegar 10 minutes before serving.
• Use white pepper instead of black pepper.
• Use masa/corn flour (not cornstarch) to thicken (mix flour with cold water and whisk until smooth, then pour into hot chili while stirring constantly until thickened).

RED CHILI

Steps:

• In a stockpot over medium heat, brown the meats. When they are halfway done, add in the onion and garlic and continue to saute until the onions are clear. Add tomato juice, tomatoes, chile powder, cumin, salt, and cayenne pepper and thoroughly stir to blend and incorporate all the flavors and seasonings. Simmer for 1 hour.
• Add the beans and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat; cool down quickly via an ice bath. Cover and refrigerate. Before serving or freezing, skim fat from the top of the chili.