Chuckwagon Chili with Beans
This recipe is from the cookbook Texas on the Plate by Terry Thompson-Anderson. I made some minor changes to the recipe for my family’s taste. I also used much more meat because we like a really meaty chili. The recipe reflects any changes I made. The excerpt below is directly from her cookbook.
“The very word chili brings to mind images of campfires and cowboys. Now every cowboy in Texas, whether real or of the urban variety, claims to make the best chili you’ve ever tasted. So don’t even bother bragging about yours. Then there is the controversy over whether real, he-man chili has beans or not. Well, I love beans, which are an essential element of Texas cookery. So it’s my personal theory that chili, which is real Texan stuff, and beans, which are real Texan stuff, should just go together. Now that’s my opinion and if, after you taste my chili, you don’t agree, then make yours without beans! I always like to make chili the day before I’m going to serve it. The flavors undergo a melding process that always makes it taste better the second day.” I agree perfectly with Terry.
Chuckwagon Chili with Beans
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup lard or solid shortening
- 1-1/2 pound beef chuck trimmed and chopped into ½-inch dice
- 2-1/4 pounds pork butt trimmed and chopped into ½-inch dice
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 2 large onions chopped
- 3 celery stalks chopped
- 2 red bell peppers chopped
- 6 large garlic cloves minced
- 3 fresh jalapeño chilies seeds and veins removed, minced
- 4 Serrano chilies seeds and veins removed, minced
- 2 Dried Ancho Chilis I used a coffee grinder that I only use for herbs grind to powder. (I only used 2 teaspoons of this powder. Save the rest in a well sealed jar.)
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 1- 6 ounce can tomato paste
- 3 15 ounce cans of diced fire roasted tomatoes and their juice
- 1 15 ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 10- ounce can Ro-tel Diced Tomatoes and Chilies
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups beef stock made enough butternut squash that I could eat my chili butternut squash grilled cheese
- 1 12- ounce can of beer
- ⅔ cup dry red wine such as Cabernet Sauvignon
- 1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano
- 2 teaspoons whole cumin seeds
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- ¼ cup dark chili powder + 3 tablespoons. I can add more or to taste I used McCormick Dark Chili Powder
- 1 16- ounce can red kidney beans and their juice
- 2 16- ounce cans pinto beans and their juice
- 1 16- ounce can black beans and their juice
Instructions
- Melt the shortening in a heavy 10-quart soup pot over medium-high heat.
- When the fat is hot, add the diced meats and cook until their pink color is gone and the juices from the meat have evaporated, about 25 minutes. The meat should be starting to brown. Do this in batches to brown the meat. Remove all the meat to a bowl
- Add all vegetables and the black pepper, stirring to blend well. Cook, stirring often to prevent sticking, until vegetables are very wilted, about 20 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste and stir to blend well. Cook until the paste is thick and dark red in color.
- Add the browned meats back to the pot.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and their juice, tomato sauce, Ro-Tel tomatoes, stocks, beer, and red wine.
- Stir in all seasonings, blending well.
- Bring to a gentle boil, then lower heat and simmer for 1½ hours, stirring occasionally.
- Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed, keeping in mind that chili is supposed to be on the spicy side.
- Add salt as needed.
- Skim all fat from surface.
- Stir in the four kinds of beans, blending well.
- Cook an additional 30 minutes. Taste for additional seasonings.
Video
Notes
For more Chili recipes click here for Pinterest.
And for more of my Soups and Stew recipes follow this link: https://darlenestable.com/category/soup-stew/
