Seven Chile Texas Chili Recipes

SUNNY'S EASY BEEFY TEXAS CHILI

Steps:

• In a small bowl, mix the cumin, chile powder, oregano, pumpkin pie spice, 2 teaspoons salt and a few grinds of black pepper.
• In a large pot over medium heat, add the olive oil, beef cubes and half of the seasoning blend. Cook until the beef is browned on all sides but not cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes; remove with a slotted spoon to a plate. Add the onion, bell pepper, tomato paste, hot sauce, garlic and a pinch of salt to the pot. Cook, stirring, until everything turns a dark reddish brown, about 8 minutes.
• Add the ground beef and sprinkle over the remaining seasoning blend. Cook, stirring, until the beef is no longer pink, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the reserved beef chunks back to the pot along with the stock, wine or beer and cornmeal. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cook, partially covered and stirring occasionally, until the chili is thick and the liquid is reduced, 40 to 45 minutes.
• Spoon the chili into bowls and serve with sliced scallions, shredded cheese and tortilla chips.

TEXAS CHILI

Steps:

• Remove the stems and some of the seeds from the ancho, arbol and guajillo chiles; then tear the chiles into large pieces. In a large saute pan over medium-high heat, toast the chiles until they start to change color, about 2 minutes. Add 1 cup hot water to just cover the chiles; turn off the heat, cover the pan, and let steam for 15 minutes. Transfer the chiles and liquid to a blender and puree until smooth. Pour into a bowl and set aside.
• In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add the olive oil, onions, peppers, Fresno chiles and Anaheim peppers. Cook until the onions are translucent, 6 to 7 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside on a baking sheet or in a bowl.
• Sprinkle the beef chuck and ground beef with salt and pepper, then add to the Dutch oven. Cook until well browned, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, oregano, cayenne and cinnamon; saute until fragrant, about 2 more minutes. Add the sauteed vegetables, beef stock and the chile puree, stirring to combine. Bring to a boil and reduce to a very low simmer. Simmer until the beef is very tender and the liquid has reduced, about 2 hours. Stir in the beer and paprika, then add the masa harina to tighten sauce. Stir over low heat for 10 to 12 minutes, breaking up some of the beef so it gets worked into the sauce slightly. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the heat, cover and keep warm.
• Serve generous portions of chili in bowls, drizzled with Cheddar Beer Cheese Sauce and garnished with sour cream, scallions, red onion and crackers.
• Remove the stems and some of the seeds from the ancho, arbol and guajillo chiles; then tear the chiles into large pieces. In a large saute pan over medium-high heat, toast the chiles until they start to change color, about 2 minutes. Add 1 cup hot water to just cover the chiles; turn off the heat, cover the pan, and let steam for 15 minutes. Transfer the chiles and liquid to a blender and puree until smooth. Pour into a bowl and set aside.
• In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add the olive oil, onions, peppers, Fresno chiles and Anaheim peppers. Cook until the onions are translucent, 6 to 7 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside on a baking sheet or in a bowl.
• Sprinkle the beef chuck and ground beef with salt and pepper, then add to the Dutch oven. Cook until well browned, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, oregano, cayenne and cinnamon; saute until fragrant, about 2 more minutes. Add the sauteed vegetables, beef stock and the chile puree, stirring to combine. Bring to a boil and reduce to a very low simmer. Simmer until the beef is very tender and the liquid has reduced, about 2 hours. Stir in the beer and paprika, then add the masa harina to tighten sauce. Stir over low heat for 10 to 12 minutes, breaking up some of the beef so it gets worked into the sauce slightly. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the heat, cover and keep warm.
• Serve generous portions of chili in bowls, drizzled with Cheddar Beer Cheese Sauce and garnished with sour cream, scallions, red onion and crackers.
• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the butter and flour and mix together to make a roux. Cook until nutty and fragrant but still light in color, 3 to 4 minutes. Pour in the beer and half-and-half, whisking to create a smooth, thick sauce. Add the Cheddar, cream cheese, Worcestershire, salt, dry mustard, paprika, cayenne and pepper. Cook over low heat, while continuing to whisk, for 7 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover, and keep warm until ready to serve.
• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the butter and flour and mix together to make a roux. Cook until nutty and fragrant but still light in color, 3 to 4 minutes. Pour in the beer and half-and-half, whisking to create a smooth, thick sauce. Add the Cheddar, cream cheese, Worcestershire, salt, dry mustard, paprika, cayenne and pepper. Cook over low heat, while continuing to whisk, for 7 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover, and keep warm until ready to serve.

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.

TEXAS CHILI

Steps:

• For the chile sauce: Cover the California chiles, guajillo chiles and pasilla chiles with water in a medium saucepan and soak for 2 hours. Add the garlic and simmer until tender, about 30 minutes. Blend small batches at a time in blender, adding some fresh oregano each time. Strain through a medium-mesh strainer.
• For the stewed tomatoes: Simmer the heirloom tomatoes whole in a large uncovered pot over medium heat until they are broken down and have released some of their liquid, about 45 minutes. Let cool slightly and then puree with an immersion blender.
• For the chili spices: Combine the oatmeal, cumin, paprika, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper and red pepper flakes in a bowl. Set aside.
• For the chili: Preheat the oven to 350 degree F. Mix together the chuck, top round, onion and garlic in a Dutch oven. Cook in the oven, stirring occasionally, until brown.
• Add the chili spices to the ground beef mixture and cook 20 minutes more. Then add the stewed tomatoes and chile sauce. Cook until an instant-read thermometer register 160 degrees F, about 1 hour.

TEXAS CHILI

Steps:

• Tear the guajillo and ancho chiles into about 1-inch pieces. In a medium saucepan, toast the chiles over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and darkened in spots, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the onion, garlic and enough water to cover by 1-inch. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the chiles are softened, about 10 minutes. Drain well and discard the liquid.
• Transfer the chili mixture to a blender with the beef broth, cornmeal, oregano and cumin. Puree until smooth, about 1 minute. Set aside.
• Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. In a large bowl, toss the beef with the salt and pepper. Working in batches, cook the meat until browned on all sides, 8-10 minutes per batch.
• Return all the beef to the pot and stir in the chili mixture. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the meat is very tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• Stir in the cider vinegar. Season the chili to taste with salt. Serve topped with queso fresco, pickled jalapeños, cilantro and corn chips, if you like.

TEXAS-STYLE CHILI

Steps:

• In a small heavy skillet, toast cumin and coriander seeds until fragrant. In a mortar and pestle, or in a coffee grinder, grind to a powder and set aside.
• Meanwhile, roughly cut beef into 2-inch cubes, or slice it against the grain into pieces about 1/4-inch thick by 1 1/2 inches square. Sprinkle with salt.
• In a large, heavy pot over high heat, heat oil until shimmering. Working in batches to avoid crowding the pan, brown the meat, turning occasionally until crusty. Adjust heat to prevent scorching. As it is cooked, remove the meat to drain on paper towels. Add more oil as needed for browning, but do not clean out the pot.
• To the empty but crusty pot, add onion, garlic, jalapeños, masa harina or tortilla (if using), chile powder, cumin-coriander powder and oregano. Cook, stirring, until onion has softened, 5 to 10 minutes. Add meat, beer, tomatoes, chocolate, whole dried chiles and 1 quart water. Bring to a gentle simmer and simmer about 1 1/2 hours, or until meat is fork-tender. Remove the dried chiles. Taste and add salt if necessary.
• Serve immediately or let cool and refrigerate. The chili tastes best one or two days after it is made.
• Reheat over low heat if necessary and serve in bowls, sprinkled with chopped onion and cilantro. Add Fritos for crunch, or dip tortillas into the spicy gravy.

TEXAS CHILI

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup stock to a boil. Add chilies. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 20 minutes. Remove and discard stems from seeds from chiles. Put chiles and soaking liquid into a food processor or blender. Cover and process until smooth., In a large bowl, combine 4 tablespoons flour , salt and pepper. Add beef, a few pieces at a time, and toss to coat. , In a Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Brown beef in batches, adding additional oil as necessary. Remove with a slotted spoon. Add onion to same pan; cook and stir until tender, 5-7 minutes. Add garlic; cook 1-2 minutes. Add remaining 2 cups broth, stirring to loosen browed bits from pan. Stir in chile mixture. Return beef to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered until beef is tender, 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Skim fat. Stir vinegar, cilantro, brown sugar and cumin; simmer another 10 minutes. If desired, serve with tortillas, sour cream, lime wedges and additional cilantro.