no pinto, black beans are available, why not kidney .....?
Thanks for the cooking onion etc. first tip......
Kidney beans are for Yankee chili. The only acceptable beans for real Texas chili (we invented the dish, and it is the official State food of Texas) are pinto beans, or if pinto beans are unavailable, black beans. If you can't get beef, a beef substitute is fine. You can use chicken, or whatever you can get. I would personally use chicken thigh meat.
This is my version of the original
Texas Red chili, and a photo of my
Texas Red. No beans, no tomatoes. Here is a recipe. You can adapt it to your tastes. Originally, chili was hearty chuck wagon food for hard working cowboys/vaqueros. You can also use a plant based fat, like vegetable oil, if animal fat is not something you eat.
2 ounces dried, whole dried chipotle and ancho (6 to 8 chiles), seeds removed (the seeds are bitter)
1½ teaspoons ground cumin
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Kosher salt to taste
5 tablespoons lard, rendered beef suet -- or rendered bacon fat (I use bacon fat)
2½ pounds boneless beef chuck, well trimmed and cut into ¾-inch cubes (to yield 2 pounds after trimming)
⅓ cup finely chopped onion
3 large cloves garlic, minced
2 cups
beef stock , or canned low-sodium beef broth, plus more as needed
2¼ cups water, plus more as needed
2 tablespoons masa harina (corn tortilla flour)
1 tablespoon firmly packed dark brown sugar, plus more as needed
1½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar, plus more as needed
Step 1
Place the chiles in a large skillet over medium-low heat and gently toast the chiles until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Don't let them burn or they'll turn bitter. Place the chiles in a bowl and cover them with very hot water and soak until soft, 15 to 45 minutes, turning once or twice.
Step 2
Drain the chiles. Place the chiles in the bowl of a blender and add the cumin, black pepper, 1 tablespoon salt and ¼ cup water. Purée the mixture, adding more water as needed (and occasionally scraping down the sides of the blender jar), until a smooth, slightly fluid paste forms (you want to eliminate all but the tiniest bits of skin.) Set the chile paste aside.
Step 3
Return skillet to medium-high heat and melt 2 tablespoons of the lard/bacon fat. When it begins to smoke, swirl skillet to coat and add half of the beef. Lightly brown on at least two sides, about 3 minutes per side, reducing the heat if the meat threatens to burn. Transfer to a bowl and repeat with 2 more tablespoons of lard/bacon fat and the remaining beef. Reserve.
Step 4
Let the skillet cool slightly, and place it over medium-low heat. Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of lard/bacon fat in the skillet; add the onion and garlic and cook gently for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the stock, the remaining 2 cups water and gradually whisk in the masa harina to avoid lumps. Stir in the reserved chile paste, scraping the bottom of the skillet with a spatula to loosen any browned bits. Add the reserved beef (and any juices in the bowl) and bring to a simmer over high heat. Reduce heat to maintain the barest possible simmer (just a few bubbles breaking the surface) and cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is tender but still somewhat firm and 1½ to 2 cups of thickened but still liquid sauce surrounds the cubes of meat, about 2 to three hours.
Step 5
Stir in the brown sugar and vinegar thoroughly and add salt to taste; gently simmer 10 minutes more. At this point, it may look like there is excess sauce. Turn off the heat and let the chili stand for at least 30 minutes, during which time the meat will absorb about half of the remaining sauce in the skillet, leaving the meat bathed in a thick, somewhat fluid sauce. Stir in additional broth or water if the mixture seems too dry. If the mixture seems a bit loose and wet, allow it to simmer a bit more (sometimes I like to partially crush the cubes of beef with the back of a spoon to let them absorb more sauce). Adjust the balance of flavors with a bit of additional salt, sugar, or vinegar, if you like.
Step 6
Reheat gently and serve in individual bowls with an optional dollop of sour cream on top and a lime wedge on the side. Serve with some cornbread. Put some hot sauce (such as
Tabasco) on the table for people who love really spicy chili to add, if they choose.
Originally, pinto beans would have also been cooked separately, and served on the side, so people could mix it in, or not. Again, black beans are an acceptable substitute for pinto beans.
CD
www.discusscooking.com
