Texas Chili From Scratch #yeeha

Texas Chili from scratch!

Through the years many well meaning folks have tried their level best to define Texas Chili. During the heyday of chili cooking competitions, CASI (Chili Appreciation Society International) required contestants to create a stew of meat and gravy only. Fillers would disqualify you. Some so called purist would be outright mean about the whole bean and chili debate. Those same folks would be the first to open a can of tomato paste or tear into a pre-packaged commercial chili powder. I mean if you are going to claim to know Texas chili then you should know about chili peppers! Right? To this Texan, chili is a stew with a hearty meat and gravy. If you actually read the labels of some of the most popular brands of commercial chili powder they do not even mention the type of chili peppers in the pre-packaged mix. Most of the pre-packaged chili powders have loads of salt and most have MSG and anti-caking agents like sodium aluminosilicate. Check it out for yourself. The sodium levels in pre-packaged powders and spices are off the charts! Texas style chili can be a healthful meal. One thing is for sure, scratch made Texas style chili is labor intensive. It’s a labor of love and nothing good comes easy.

I have heard many stories about the invention of Texas Chili. Many folks want to lay claim to the origin. Texas chili is an easy to prepare stew with indigenous ingredients and spices. Chili peppers, Comino (cumin) and cilantro bolita (coriander) have been part of the Meso-American culture for 1000’s of years. So, it would not be a stretch of the imagination to believe a cook, probably Mexican or Mayan, created a meat stew spiced with local peppers and rich with the flavor of Comino (cumin).

The word chili pepper can be referring to many varieties of peppers. I have been experimenting with many of the chili peppers I can buy here in Southeast Texas. Guajillo, ancho, arbol, jalapeno, Anaheim and piquin are all varieties of whole dried peppers readily available. The fact is you just have to try them to know what you like.

Most commercial chili powders do not even tell you the type of chili peppers they are using. I have tried most popular brands and they do a wonderful job, but unknown ingredients make you dependent on their particular brand to recreate a flavor. Drying chili peppers out in the oven is very cheap and easy. Pulverizing peppers in a blender is a breeze. Lightly roasting the whole coriander and Comino seeds in a black iron skillet is taking it to the next level. The smell of lightly roasted Comino seeds is excellent. After I roast the seeds I turn them to powder in a spice mill.

Because I wanted to create a Texas style chili without using any commercial ingredients I decided to use fresh tomatoes. I blanched and peeled 10 beautiful tomatoes and then I did a fine chop on them before adding them to the pot. In the past I always opened a can of Hunt’s or the like and never thought twice. The amount of sodium used in one small can of Hunt’s tomato paste should be against the law! I mean fast and easy used to be the way I rolled. To this day, the big winners at the 2 big chili cook-offs in Terlingua, Texas, use mostly commercial ingredients and pre-packaged foods. I wanted healthy and flavorful and you will not find that with pre-packaged ingredients.

The meat you choose is what chili is all about. The fact is any meat would make good chili. Back 25 years ago the elite on the chili circuit used mock chuck tenders. Even back then they were very expensive. The idea was to partially freeze the meat and then cube with a knife so you would have nice sharp edges on your cubes. Recently, I started using buffalo sirloin. Buffalo holds its texture and is very healthful and delicious. I have always used a pork sausage in my chili. In the past, I have defaulted to a particular brand. Now, I make my own pork breakfast sausage. 3 pounds of buffalo and 1 pound of pork sausage works great.

Chili is only as good as its gravy. Years ago, I would use V8 juice and beef bouillon to help create a very fast and easily prepared gravy. I would also use Hunts tomato paste and pre-packaged chili powder. The sodium in all of these pre-package ingredients is deadly high. Now, I use my own beef stock for my gravy. This last batch of beef stock simmered for 25 hours and had a beautiful bronze color. The flavor and vitamins a good, thick beef stock will add to your chili makes the dish. The bottom line is chili is great food and can be a super food if you take the time and effort to use wholesome ingredients.