- Jun 28, 2022
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This is what real chili is supposed to be, in my self-anointed expert, New Yourk / Yankee, never-wrong opinion...
Ingredients (things you could bring with you on a cattle drive, in a chuck wagon…)
NO TOMATOES of any kind.
6 strips good quality thick bacon (Better Than Good brand is the best there is from a store - yes, I am an expert)
A slew of fresh garlic, crushed and NOT chopped
1 medium yellow (NOT white) onion diced
4 lbs boneless chuck roast cut into 1/2”cubes (including the fat you can remove/skim when finished)
6 tablespoons real chile powder http://www.janebutelcooking.com/Public/PecosValleySpiceCo/Chile-Spices/index.cfm hot or mild (NEVER use any commercial chili powder) I use all hot and add jalapenos and its warm but not silly-hot – perfect.
1 teaspoon fresh ground Mexican oregano https://www.janebutelcooking.com/PecosValleySpiceCo/Herbs-Spices/
1 teaspoon fresh ground cumin https://www.janebutelcooking.com/PecosValleySpiceCo/Herbs-Spices/ (I receive no compensation whatsoever from PVSC - they just have the best chile powder and spices there is)
4 Jalapeno peppers diced no seeds and/or stems
In a perfectly seasoned cast iron Dutch oven -
Cook bacon over low heat until just crisp but not crumbling. Leave all bacon fat in pan (you can skim when finished if you are that kind of person...); eat the bacon while you are cooking or add to chili the last 30-miniutes
Slow brown garlic in bacon fat, then turn up the heat and add onions and cook until onions are translucent. Remove garlic and onions from pan and reserve.
Full heat brown the cubed boneless chuck a little at a time - well-browned - you want to caramelize the sugars in the meat/fat and help color the final product.
Once all the chuck is browned add the garlic, onions, spices, and boiling water to cover. Bring back to boil then lower heat and simmer 4-hours+ until cubes of chuck fall apart (like pulled pork – I use a mashed potato smasher to help the process but it should all look like shredded beef) you can remove any pieces of fat you find at this time.
Add diced jalapenos, and simmer another hour. Also, add hot water as needed as you go (final consistency is your choice but it isn't supposed to be soup).
Now, in spite of the old wives tales, if you’ve followed these instructions perfectly, you will not let it cool and refrigerate overnight, but you will eat the flat out best bowl of chili you ever tasted – simple as the recipe and simple as that.
NEVER put beans in your chili, however it is acceptable to serve chili OVER properly-cooked pinto beans, perhaps with some diced yellow onion and/or high-quality sharp cheddar.
My favorite is to cook separately, some Lundberg Wild Blend rice, and half-fill a huge bowl with rice and smother it with the chili and I am in food heaven.
Trust me on the spices, quantity, and source – the best there is.
Ingredients (things you could bring with you on a cattle drive, in a chuck wagon…)
NO TOMATOES of any kind.
6 strips good quality thick bacon (Better Than Good brand is the best there is from a store - yes, I am an expert)
A slew of fresh garlic, crushed and NOT chopped
1 medium yellow (NOT white) onion diced
4 lbs boneless chuck roast cut into 1/2”cubes (including the fat you can remove/skim when finished)
6 tablespoons real chile powder http://www.janebutelcooking.com/Public/PecosValleySpiceCo/Chile-Spices/index.cfm hot or mild (NEVER use any commercial chili powder) I use all hot and add jalapenos and its warm but not silly-hot – perfect.
1 teaspoon fresh ground Mexican oregano https://www.janebutelcooking.com/PecosValleySpiceCo/Herbs-Spices/
1 teaspoon fresh ground cumin https://www.janebutelcooking.com/PecosValleySpiceCo/Herbs-Spices/ (I receive no compensation whatsoever from PVSC - they just have the best chile powder and spices there is)
4 Jalapeno peppers diced no seeds and/or stems
In a perfectly seasoned cast iron Dutch oven -
Cook bacon over low heat until just crisp but not crumbling. Leave all bacon fat in pan (you can skim when finished if you are that kind of person...); eat the bacon while you are cooking or add to chili the last 30-miniutes
Slow brown garlic in bacon fat, then turn up the heat and add onions and cook until onions are translucent. Remove garlic and onions from pan and reserve.
Full heat brown the cubed boneless chuck a little at a time - well-browned - you want to caramelize the sugars in the meat/fat and help color the final product.
Once all the chuck is browned add the garlic, onions, spices, and boiling water to cover. Bring back to boil then lower heat and simmer 4-hours+ until cubes of chuck fall apart (like pulled pork – I use a mashed potato smasher to help the process but it should all look like shredded beef) you can remove any pieces of fat you find at this time.
Add diced jalapenos, and simmer another hour. Also, add hot water as needed as you go (final consistency is your choice but it isn't supposed to be soup).
Now, in spite of the old wives tales, if you’ve followed these instructions perfectly, you will not let it cool and refrigerate overnight, but you will eat the flat out best bowl of chili you ever tasted – simple as the recipe and simple as that.
NEVER put beans in your chili, however it is acceptable to serve chili OVER properly-cooked pinto beans, perhaps with some diced yellow onion and/or high-quality sharp cheddar.
My favorite is to cook separately, some Lundberg Wild Blend rice, and half-fill a huge bowl with rice and smother it with the chili and I am in food heaven.
Trust me on the spices, quantity, and source – the best there is.
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