Ever since I had a bowl of “3-X” at The Texas Chili Parlor – the famous spot in Austin, I’ve been enchanted by the call of the Red.   A pot of chili creates an excitement and sense of history.  Most of what I know about chili came from an article in Esquire magazine from ’81 or ’82 titled,”How to Throw a Chili Festival.”  I can’t find the name of the author, if anyone knows it, please post it in the remarks.

He credited Frank X. Tolbert for the basis of his recipe.  I have changed it a little over the years, but it is essentially Tolbert’s chili I strive for.

Much has been said about whether “true” Texas chili is ruined by adulterating the original basic elements: meat, chili peppers, and spices.  The original included no beans, macaroni, tofu, chocolate, rice, coffee, tomatoes, onion, celery, poultry, seafood, wine, hot dogs, peanut butter, eggplant, zucchini, corn, or anything vegetarian.

Count me in the group that appreciates the lore of a purist brew, but can also enjoy moderate enhancements. For most people, one bowl of the real stuff and the beany-veggie stuff begins to seem mildly ridiculous. You can find the recipe part of the article, posted without acknowledgment of source, at this URL: http://tcbunch.com/home/index.php5?title=North_Texas_Red_Chili

I skip the flour and masa harina, substituting onion and mushroom to thicken the texture, otherwise this is still the best recipe I’ve tried. I also use tomato paste instead of sugar; it adds color and texture.  Chili making is more work than most meals, so I like to make a big pot and have plenty for give-aways and left-overs. I’ve also added a few shortcuts to make things go quicker. Some people insist that cast iron cookware is the only way to get the authentic taste; use it if you have it.

Ingredients

• 10 lbs beef, a cheap and tough cut is best; anything too tender will fall apart.
• 1 lb thick-sliced bacon
• 20-30 hot chilies, I look for a mixture of sizes and types, fresh and dried, mostly red, to get the good red color.
• 3-4 red bell peppers
• 8-10 cloves garlic (I usually use 6-8 tsp minced from a jar)
• 12 medium mushrooms
• 2 medium sweet onions
• 2 cups beef broth
• 1 cup chili powder
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 3 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp oregano
• ¼ cup paprika
• 1-6oz can tomato paste
• 5 beers
• Salt to taste

Method

To begin, put on some cowboy music and start with a belt of tequila, which really does help establish perspective. Cook the bacon in two skillets, drain and set aside; keep drippings handy in a bowl. Remove stems, seeds and veins from the peppers, add to a soup pot with beef broth, onions, mushrooms, tomato paste, and garlic cloves; add water to cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer briskly for a half hour, while the beef is being browned.

Watch the pepper fumes, they can burn your eyes and throat. Remove most fat, gristle and silver skin from beef and save. Cut meat into ¾ inch cubes. Brown the cubed beef, a handful at a time in the two skillets, use some bacon grease to loosen it up. Watch for steaming caused by crowding, it gives the meat a weird texture. Give it a good scorch, but don’t let it burn. Put cooked beef into the chili pot.

When all the beef is done and in the pot, turn off the peppers and let cool for a while. Toss the beef trimmings into a skillet and fry it up. When it’s scorched, add 2-3 cups of water; this will extract flavor from the fatty nuggets and de-glaze the pan, also gathering flavors. Pour this into the other skillet and de-glaze that one too. Strain liquid into pepper pot, discard the trimmings, save some for the dog though!

Chop whatever is left of the bacon, after everyone snacks on half of it, and add it to the big pot. Add the dry spices to the beef and stir thoroughly and gently to coat the cubed meat. If you are using minced garlic from a jar, add it also. Cook the coated meat gently for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, don’t let the bottom burn.

Ladle the pepper mixture, in batches, into a blender and puree. The idea is to chop the pepper skins fine enough to be unnoticeable, but don’t overdo it. Crack a beer, take a sip, and then stir the rest into the meat. This is fun. Do it again. Add the blended up peppers and broth. Add the rest of the beers. The meat should be covered, with about two inches of liquid above it. Add water or beer as needed to make enough broth.

Cook over low heat for at least two hours, while you clean up the kitchen mess. Keep stirring to prevent burning. Taste the broth and adjust pepper level and saltiness if needed. I usually let it simmer slowly for 4-5 hours. The whole house will be filled with that unmistakable aroma, mmmm. Place the pot in the fridge overnight.

An hour before serving, skim some of the grease off the top with a spatula, I like to leave some in for flavor and texture. Heat carefully over low heat until the pot is just bubbling. Serve with shredded Monterrey Jack and cheddar. Most people like some bread or saltines as a security blanket against the peppers. A good bowl isn’t so hot it is a chore to endure, but is should make you sweat a bit. It is normal to find yourself at a pause, mid-bowl, with deep thoughts bubbling up into your consciousness before digging back in to finish.  Use leftover chili and cheese to make omelets the next morning.