Ingredients: |
Ingredients: 3 lbs. or so chuck roast
1 white onion, chopped
Some vegetable oil
1 (28 oz,) can diced tomatoes, drained of liquid
2 (7 oz.) cans chopped green chilies
1/2 bottle Shiner Bock beer
1/4 c. chili powder
1 tsp. powdered oregano
1 tsp. powdered cumin
1/2 T. black pepper
1/2 c. corn masa flour, or
substitute regular flour
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Directions: |
Directions:Hardware: The chili will cook on low heat for at least 4 hours, so a crock pot or roasting pan makes it easy. You can also do it with a pot on the stove on low heat. Preparation: butcher's knife, large mixing bowl, large cast iron skillet.
Directions: Open the Shiner and drink half of it while you prepare the chili.
Trim the chuck roast of any large slabs or chunks of gristle and fat. You should net about 2-1/2 pounds after trimming. Don’t worry about removing all of it. If we wanted lean meat, we would buy lean meat. Chili is a braised dish, like stew and pot roast, in which the connective tissue dissolves into gelatin under long low heat, and the fat melts, adding to the flavor and texture.
Cut the roast into 3/4-inch pieces. Size doesn’t really matter, the chunks will fall apart some as they cook, and I like some chunkiness, so I start on the large side. Place the meat in a large bowl, and add a handful of Lone Star dry rub (see recipe below). Mix the meat and dry rub by hand, adding dry rub as needed until all pieces are thoroughly coated. After mixing, set the meat aside to let the dry rub do its thing. Ideally, you add the dry rub the night before you cook, but not critical.
Put all of the ingredients, except the meat, onions, and flour into the cooking pot and mix thoroughly. Set the pot or burner temperature on low. If the pot has a temperature setting, set it at about 200 degrees.
Heat the skillet on the stove on high heat, with a tablespoon or so of vegetable oil. Let it get really hot, but not smoking, then put some of the meat in the pan. Stir frequently until the meat is seared. Dump this batch into the cooking pot, put a little more in the skillet, and sear another batch. Should take 2 to 4 batches, depending on skillet size.
When you finish the meat, turn down the skillet heat to medium and add some more oil and the chopped onion. Scrape the dry rub off the bottom of the skillet as the onions cook. When the onions are soft, dump them in the pot. Give everything in the pot another stir, cover the pot, and let it cook. Stir occasionally if you’re nosy or anxious.
After about 4 hours of cooking, check the meat for tenderness. I’ve had batches that are okay after 4 hours, but really benefit from another couple of hours. There should be no hint of tough meat. This is also a good time to add whatever other spices you think it needs, and skim any oil or grease off the top if it bothers you. Once the meat is tender and the spice is to your liking, mix the flour with some water to make a paste, then stir into chili and cook another 30 minutes. If you don’t want to risk the chili not being done at the time you want to serve it, make it the day before. Storing in the refrigerator and reheating when you serve it actually enhances the flavor.
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Personal
Notes: |
Personal
Notes: Spice and Chili options: The only “heat” in this recipe is the black pepper, the cayenne in the dry rub, and what little you get from the green chilies, but it always seems to come out with some warmth that is tolerable for most people. For more heat, you can add cayenne, a Serrano pepper, or hot sauce to the pot. For less heat, reduce the black pepper in the dry rub. I sometimes replace some or a of the green chilies with roasted, peeled and chopped poblano peppers, which have a lot of flavor and moderate heat. Most chili recipes use Anaheim, Hatch, or ancho chilies, which are quite a bit spicier. Alton Brown purées the chilies and tomatoes, but I like the chunks.
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This recipe for Paul’s Chili is from