Texas Chili 

The Texas “bowl of red” is among the signature dishes of the Lone Star State. If you want any respect in Texas, call your chili a meat dish, not a soup. I like to cut the meat in small cubes, but coarsely ground beef chuck, called “chili grind,” can be used if you prefer. True Texas chili does not include beans, though they can be served on the side. A key ingredient is an ancho chile-based chili powder, enhanced in this case by toasted cumin seeds, a bit of Mexican mole paste, and masa harina as a thickener. A true bowl of goodness!

Other Meat Recipes From Cheryl Alters Jamison

Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Haitian Pumpkin-Beef Soup (Joumou)

BLT Pasta

Seared Pork Chops with Cranberry-Bourbon Sauce

Texas Chili 

---

• Author: Cheryl Alters Jamison
• Yield: 8 Servings 1x

Print Recipe

Description

Accompany this rich and hearty Texas Chili with your favorite bread or crackers.

---

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 4 bacon slices, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 plump garlic cloves, minced
• 4-lb beef chuck roast, trimmed of surface fat and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• ½ cup good quality chili powder, such as Gebhardt’s
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds, toasted in a dry skillet and ground
• 1 tbsp molé paste
• 2 tsp crumbled dried oregano
• 2 tsp salt or more to taste
• 2 tsp cider vinegar
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper or more to taste
• Approximately 2 cups beef stock
• 1 to 2 tbsp masa harina
• Chopped onions, shredded mild Cheddar cheese, minced fresh or pickled jalapeños, and saltine crackers, optional garnishes

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

---

Instructions

1. Fry the bacon in a Dutch oven or other large heavy pot over medium heat until brown and crisp. Remove the bacon from the drippings with a slotted spoon and reserve it.
2. Add the onion to the drippings and saute briefly until softened. Mix in the garlic and continue cooking until the onion is translucent. Stir in the beef and saute it until it loses its raw color. Add the reserved bacon, and the chili powder, cumin, molé paste, oregano, salt, vinegar, and cayenne. Pour in just enough stock to cover. Reduce heat to very low and cook uncovered for about 3 hours, stirring about every 30 minutes. Add more stock as needed to keep the mixture from getting dry and sticking.
3. In the last 30 minutes of cooking, stir in the masa harina, a couple of teaspoons at a time, to thicken or “tighten” the chili. Serve the chili immediately or, preferably, let it cool, cover, and refrigerate overnight, and reheat.
4. Serve the chili steaming hot in bowls, with garnishes as you wish.

©2000 Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison, adapted from American Home Cooking. 

Recipe by Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison
Photography by Tira Howard

Subscribe to TABLE Magazine‘s print edition.