Well, since someone revived this 18-month dormant topic, I'll toss my 2 cents in...
CENT 1:
Most authorities trace the dish we know as "Chili" back to Military plaza in San Antonio and the famous 'Chili Queens'. Here is a traditional recipe from that time, preserved in the Institute of Texas Culture:
Original San Antonio Chili
2 pounds beef shoulder, cut into ½-inch cubes
1 pound pork shoulder, cut into ½-inch cubes
¼ cup suet
¼ cup pork fat
3 medium-sized onions, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 quart water
4 ancho chiles
1 serrano chile
6 dried red chiles
1 tablespoon comino seeds, freshly ground
2 tablespoons Mexican oregano
Salt to taste
Place lightly floured beef and pork cubes in with suet and pork fat in heavy chili pot and cook quickly, stirring often. Add onions and garlic and cook until they are tender and limp. Add water to mixture and simmer slowly while preparing chiles. Remove stems and seeds from chiles and chop very finely. Grind chiles in molcajete and add oregano with salt to mixture. Simmer another 2 hours. Remove suet casing and skim off some fat. Never cook frijoles with chiles and meat. Serve as separate dish.
CENT 2:
This is my heritage chili recipe. It hearkens back to the chili made long ago by folks on the trail and those of little means. Note the absence of both beans and tomato products. It can be a bit spicy, what with the all the chile products - you may adjust them either way.
Note: at no time does this recipe, or any other true chili recipe, call for the inclusion of beans! If need be, good pinto beans may be served on the side.
INGREDIENTS:
3 T olive oil
2 large sweet onions, diced fine
3 Poblano peppers, seeded and diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 t kosher salt
4.5 lb beef chuck roast, trimmed and in 1" cubes
2 bay leaves
1/4 C New Mexico chile powder
4t chipotle (or cayenne) chili powder
4t ground cumin
12 oz. good Mexican beer
2 qt. beef broth
METHOD:
1. Heat 2T oil in skillet over medium high heat. Cook onions until soft, add Poblanos and cook until soft, reducing heat if necessary to prevent browning. Add garlic and salt, cook 5 more minutes.
2. Heat remaining oil in Dutch oven, add beef in batches, browning well on all sides. Return all beef to pot, add remaining spices until they form a thick paste on meat. De-glaze with ale.
3. Add broth to Dutch oven, cover loosely and simmer until meat is tender (~3 hours).
4. Remove 2C of beef chunks with slotted spoon, shred with fork and return to pot along with pepper/onion skillet mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste. Uncover Dutch oven and reduce liquid to desired consistency.
Hope you feel free to try either or both!
Mark
