Olesma's Prize Winning Chili

[olesma]

TEXAS RED CHILI

12 dried ancho chilies (New Mexico chilies may be substituted)
3 pounds lean beef chuck, cut in thumb-sized pieces
2 ounces beef suet (optional - I don't normally use it - bacon also works)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon cayenne (this is where the "heat" is added - add less if you don't want it very spicy, more if you have a death wish)
1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce
2 or more garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon salt
3 tablespoons chili powder (optional -- If you want to be adventurous and add more red color and a little more heat - I don't normally add it.)
2 tablespoons masa harina (To thicken or `tighten' the chili -- ordinary cornmeal or wheat flour will also work)

Wash the peppers and remove the stems and seeds. (Don't touch your eyes.) Boil the pods in a little water for 30 minutes, or until the skins can be removed easily. Then grind, chop or run through a colander the now skinless, seedless, stemless pods. This is the operation that takes the most time - the quick and easy method is just to add the pods and some of the pepper water to the blender and liquify the contents - it leaves some of the skin chunks in, but if you're in a hurry, it works just fine.

Save the peppery water in which the pods were boiled. Use it for cooking the chili and for adding water if necessary. Be as conservative as possible with water unless you want the chili to be soupy.

Sear the 3 pounds of beef until it is gray in color. (always sear on high and in small portions - you don't want to cook the meat all the way through, just brown it a bit - and I personally like searing them in olive oil). Into the pot, drop the beef, the optional rendered suet, the pepper pods and as much of the peppery liquid as you think you'll need to keep the meat from burning. I usually come just short of covering the beef with the water.

Bring this to a boil and then turn down the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

Add the other ingredients. Simmer for 45 minutes, keeping the lid on as much as possible. Stir when necessary, but too much stirring will tear up the meat. Add the peppered water only if you think the mixture will burn otherwise.

Add the masa harina. Cook, (actually simmer) most of the way, for another 30 minutes, or until the meat is done. During this last 30 minutes, do a lot of tasting to see if the seasoning suits you.

The best option now is to let it sit in the fridge overnight - then warm it up to serve the next day - somehow it just tasts better that way. But you can eat it right then too.

[landsinaz]

THANKS FOR GETTING THE RECIPE ON SO FAST! CAN'T WAIT TO TRY IT WITH JUST SLIGHTLY LESS CAYENNE! YUMMY!

[Pellegrino]

Here's my super super easy chili recipe.


Tom Wilpat Chili (dark haired guy on Dukes of Hazard)

1 lb Steak (any kind)
1 lb Ground Beef
Chili powder
5-6 Cloves garlic
1 Lg Onion
2 Lg Bell Peppers
3-4 Tablespoons Oil
2 Cans Tomato Sauce
2 Cans Stewed Tomato
2 Cans Kidney Beans

Make patties out of ground beef, heavily cover both sides of them and the steak with the chili powder. Grill both. Meanwhile, chop garlic, onion and bell pepper, saute in oil in large stock pot. Cut up steak and burgers and add to pot. Add all other ingredients and chili is ready but better if you make a day ahead of time.

Enjoy!

[Pellegrino]

I thought a few of you would get a kick out of this recipe for Beer Butt Chicken

http://www.outofthefryingpan.com/recipe ... butt.shtml

[olesma]

Steven Raichlen has written a whole book on the subject:

Beer Can Chicken and 74 Other Offbeat Recipes for the Grill

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/ ... ikearizona