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Expand2 ounces dried chile pepper pods, mostly New Mexico with a couple Guajillos tossed in Ask a question about this ingredient
Wearing rubber gloves, stem and seed the chile pods and cover with near-boiling water. Let steep for 30 minutes, then pour off the water and puree the softened pods in a food processor until they form a paste. Pass through a sieve to remove skins and errant seeds. Set aside.
Ask a question about this step1 1/2 tablespoons bacon fat Ask a question about this ingredient
3 pounds chuck (after trimming), neatly diced into 1/2 to 3/4-inch cubes (partially freeze the meat for easier dicing) Ask a question about this ingredient
1/2 pound ground pork Ask a question about this ingredient
lots of freshly-ground pepper Ask a question about this ingredient
1 1/2 - 2 cups homemade beef or chicken broth Ask a question about this ingredient
1 gigantic sweet onion (about one pound), diced Ask a question about this ingredient
6 cloves garlic, minced Ask a question about this ingredient
8-10 tablespoons premium commerical chili powder, such as Whole Foods or Gebhardt's Ask a question about this ingredient
2 tablespoons ground cumin, toasted briefly Ask a question about this ingredient
healthy pinch oregano Ask a question about this ingredient
1 teaspoon Kosher salt Ask a question about this ingredient
2 cups tomato sauce Ask a question about this ingredient
1/2-ounce square bittersweet chocolate Ask a question about this ingredient
Chili paste Ask a question about this ingredient
2 tablespoons brown sugar Ask a question about this ingredient
plenty of shredded cheddar, sour cream and lime wedges for serving Ask a question about this ingredient
First, pour yourself a shot of tequila and toast legendary chilihead Carroll Shelby, who founded the International Chili Society. Then, heat the bacon fat in a really big skillet, and working in batches, saute the beef and pork until no longer pink. Drain off the fat.
Ask a question about this stepPlace the meat, along with several grinds of pepper, the onions and garlic, in your favorite chili pot and add 1 1/2 cups of the beef or chicken broth. Bring to a boil, lower to a simmer, and cover. Keep the lid on, and your hands off, for 90 minutes. In the meantime, read H. Allen Smith's brilliant article "Nobody Knows More About Chili Than I Do." (Here's a link: http://www.chilicookoff.com/history/history_started.asp)
Ask a question about this stepAfter 90 minutes, stir in the chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, tomato sauce, chocolate and half the chile paste. Cover and cook for another half-hour or so. Chase away your guests, who will no doubt be hovering around, demanding to know when it's going to be ready.
Ask a question about this stepAt this point, check for consistency. If it's too thin, scoop out the meat and reduce the sauce by bringing to a boil, and when you're happy with it, return the meat to the pot. Stir in the brown sugar. (If it's too thick, add some more of the broth.) Smack any guest who gets too close with a wooden spoon.
Ask a question about this stepCook, uncovered, for 10 more minutes, and check for seasoning. You can add more salt, chili powder and cumin if you like, or more chile paste if you want to amp it up, or more brown sugar if you like it sweet and hot.
Ask a question about this stepWhen it looks as good as it smells, summon the troops and serve with a squeeze of lime and a dollop of sour cream. (But have some cheese on hand anyway for the die-hard cheddar lovers!)
Ask a question about this stepThanks, Jeanmarie - the sour cream is a little citified, but it goes really well with the spices!
This was delicious - we served it with tortillas and cornbread. I am not a sour cream fan, but a dab of sour cream and a squeeze of lime was really great on this. Great recipe, thanks for sharing!
Weather is turning cold here in the Southern Hemisphere...time to make this again! Quite possibly my favorite recipe on food52...
How come when I logged on and saw there was a your best chili contest, this didn't win?! I'm so...disillusioned!
I just made this...pretty much exactly as the recipe goes. I did sweat and soften the onions a bit on their own, but only because I really don't like crunchy onions. Maybe 2 hours in the pot wouldn't have mattered in the end.
End result was amazing. Probably one of the greatest chilies I've ever had. Beans don't belong anywhere near this chili.
LOL the Spouse is such a chili purist you can't even say the word "beans" when he is cooking chili. And thanks so much for the compliment -- I am so glad you enjoyed it!
cooked on crock pot for 24 hours and was absolutely delicious. reminded me of a restaurant in Albuquerque called Sadie's. I ate this there every week while I was pregnant. thanks for the post. I'm new on here but loving this site!
I have never been to Albuquerque, but when I get there I am hoping Sadie's is still there!
no offense about the beans to anyone...especially in NM this is served with tortillas and refriend beans and fried potatoes. the potatoes and sour relieve some of the heat because serve it really hot their. it is wonderful. now living in OH for 15 years I have so missed this. headed to the store for ingredients to make for dinner tomorrow!
Mmmm tortillas and refried beans and fried potatoes sound yummy as accompaniments! Break out the beer!
My husband requested chili for his birthday dinner. So I made this with a couple changes. Did not have bacon fat, so I fried two pieces of bacon then used the fat and put the bacon pieces in with the meat when I began the cooking. Also could not find chile pepper pods here in CT but did find ground red chili pepper from New Mexico. So I measured 2 oz, added water and made a paste. Lastly, I added an extra can of tomato sauce. Served with cheese, sour cream, lime and guac. Delicious!
I am so glad he liked it, EL! Great idea to make a paste with chili powder; living on Long Island, I know how hard it is to find chili pods!.
Bowl of Red just shot me dead. And well-fed. Just incred.
I followed most of the recipe exactly, including the tequila shot at the beginning. I added some chipotles, some black olives, and some red and black beans, and another tequila at the end. Really wonderful chili!
Careful, I think in Texas they sometimes shoot people for adding beans to red.
So...what you ended up with was a bowl of seasoned beans, huh? innoabrd is right, EatArt - If you are going to put beans in your chili down here in New Mexico (unless you are in Santa Fake!), don't go buying any green bananas!
So, EatArt, what you ended up with was a nice bowl of seasoned beans, huh? (LOL!) innoabrd is not far from right - Down here in New Mexico, if you put beans in your "chili", don't go buying any green bananas! In these parts, "bean is beans" (even if there is some chili in 'em), and chili is chili...is chili! Chile + meat + seasonings = chili.
Perfect amalgam of meatiness, spice, sweetness, tang.
An instant favorite. Can't wait to cook with my daughter!
Perfect amalgam of meatiness, spice, sweetness, tang.
An instant favorite. Can't wait to cook with my daughter!
I am planning to win our annual chili cook-off in a couple of weeks using this recipe. I have always been a fan of a good bowl of red, and this looks like it has everything needed to win. Just hoping I can find the New Mexico pepper pods and guajillos here in Minnesota! If not, I'll have to improvise.
I DID win my chili cook-off with this recipe this week (although I did confess that the recipe wasn't mine)! And I must caveat it by saying that I added some beans to the mix to stretch it a bit because it needed to feed a whole crowd... Thanks, wssmom!
LOL Niknud, I promise I won't tell the Chili Police you added beans!
Whew. I think a person could get shot in Texas for adding beans to chili.....thanks! :)
I made this chili last night and received rave reviews. My husband declares it the best chili he's ever had - he ate the (few) leftovers for breakfast. This chili is going into regular rotation for winter at our house!
Yes!!!! Such a great recipe!
Saved! Love my chili w/o beans!
I speak from experience, I tried it a few months ago! In the US now and have loaded up on dry chillies. Looking forward to getting back to South Africa in a few weeks and warding off the winter chill with a bowl!
I was hoping that you would enter this recipe in this week's contest!
BTW, because I don't live in the US and it's not something I generally stock, I had to do a bit of research to see what is generally in store-bought Chili Powder. As food52 has a growing international audience, you might consider including a note of substitutions for the Chili Powders you recommend.
And, out of curiosity, why do you discard the water the dry chilies soak in? Other recipes I've seen call for the water just to be pureed with the chilies, which is actually what I did. Mind you, I also left the seeds, which presumably just added heat?
Excellent suggestions! I will edit those in in the next few days. To answer your questions, the water in which the dried chilis soak tends to be bitter, which is why it is discarded. And the seeds are hot, you're right! ,
OK, yes, you got me with the bacon fat. I tried something inspired by your recipe. I used ground angus beef and chuck cubes, omitted the chocolate, and used a local chili spice mix - it was awesome. My husband could not believe what I had made! I also baked off some sharp white cheddar and jalapeno biscuits for dipping and cleaning the sauce out of the bowl. Everyone one was very happy :)
The combination of ground and cubed beef sounds divine (as do your biscuits, YUM!) Thanks!
Of all the chili I've had in my life I have had 2 favorites--I have a feeling this will become the 3rd. It sounds so good. I printed it out when I first saw your posting. Thanks and congratulations!
Both dishes this week were winners in my book! This is definitely going to be my go to chili recipe from now on!
You're my #1, tequila starter or no!
Awww, thanks! Speaking of No. 1, cappuccino cheesecake on the menu this weekend! Woohoo!
This is an Excellent Chili recipe, wssmom, and one that will remind me of you (in fact chili and cook-offs will remind me of you)...runner-up is a good thing. Congratulations, I look forward to more of your recipes and their stories :)
Living in Texas after more than a third-century in New Mexico has is drawbacks but, all things considered, we truly love it here in Dallas. We just miss our chile … as opposed to "chili." When we saw this recipe title, we thought we might actually see a recipe for "a bowl of red." Sorry, to those who have lived & loved in The Land of Enchantment, the Red in "A Bowl of Red" is simply red chili: water (or broth) garlic (maybe) and a touch of salt. And it's served over meat, beans, both, or any number of other palate-palpitating dishes. What you have described here sounds more like Carne Adovada; beef or pork cubes marinated in red chile & various other seasonings then cooked slowly until absolutely heaven on a plate (or maybe even Nirvana).
That said, a hearty "Thank You" for sharing your recipe! Made our mouths water. We can hardly wait the two weeks we must until we return to "O Fair New Mexico" for a visit and dig into some beef enchiladas with red, or a huge carne adovada burrito.
Thanks!
A huge carne adovada burrito would go great right about now! Thanks for the great post!
Mmmm . . . love carne adovada. NM Expats, your post is making me hungry!
Anything that starts with bacon fat must be delicious!
This looks amazing. I watched a chili cook-off on FoodTV a year ago and was mesmerized by the different philosophies on chili!
Bevi, you simply must attend one yourself! They are indeed amazing!
This sounds fantastic, plus, I love your story about the Texas Rangers.
LOL thanks, Waverly! Cook-offs are a lot of fun!
congrats wssmom! i'm drooling just reading this recipe. i can't wait to try this!
Thanks edamame2003! I'm kinda hoping the kids make it for me for mother's day dinner!
I was just reading your recipe again, and I hope to try it this weekend. It is a cool, drizzly day in Victoria, perfect chili weather! Anyway, I was wondering if you have a favorite brand of tomato sauce that you like to use in this chili. Do you recommend using a sauce as opposed to diced tomatoes?
Good question! I have gotten good results with Muir Glen organic tomato sauce as well as with Hunt's; both are thick and tomato-y, not too sweet. I like using a sauce as opposed to diced tomatoes because it results in a smoother product and lets the meat be the star, if that makes sense.
Congrats wssmom on your amazing chili!! Can't wait to try soon! : )
Yum - this would be great on Frito Chili Pie! On the to do list!
WOW! I could not wait and made this for dinner tonight - it was amazing. Dark, rich, flavorful with a subtle whisper of heat that lingers from the chile paste; although I only had dried arbols and California chiles on hand, that is what I used, but will try with New Mexico and Guajillos next time. I love the smokiness the chile paste imparts. We enjoyed our bowls of red with a squeeze of lime, a dollop of sour cream and corn tortillas to sop up every last bit. Thank you!!
I am so delighted you enjoyed it, especially with the lime and sour cream (and tortillas, yes!!!)
Congrats! And 'oh for yum!' And, it has no beans so I can eat it!!! Now, that's real chili. :)
I'm eating a bowl of vegetarian chili as we so to speak, speak. The chili paste looks very intriguing, and I love the sweet-hot combination. But I especially love the tequila starter. This will be great for when the kids are visiting. Thank you!
Amazingly, we just finished a pot of vegetarian chili in my office!! Sadly, without the tequila starter .... thanks!
I have eaten a lot of chili in my day and not until I lived in Austin did I really understand what it was. A legendary pit man by the name of CB Stubblefield served my first bowl. This recipe reminds me of what and how chili is supposed to be made. Great looking recipe wssmom thanks for sharing.
Congrats, wssmom! This version of chili sounds ridonkulously good!
Congrats wssmom on being named a finalist! In our house, we are also big chili eaters. Your version sounds fantastic -- love the fact that you put in guajillos (my favorite chili). I can't wait to try it. Your wonderful recipe language, complete with reading tips for the cook and what to do with impatient dinner guests, made me laugh out loud. I feel very honored to be here as a finalist with you. Good luck!
And you, too, cookinginvictoria -- the Sunday Pork Ragu sounds divine and I am looking forward to next Sunday to make it!!
Big congrats to you wssmom! This sounds great and I can't wait to try it!
Love chili, love your story (especially requested chili on Easter!), can't believe I missed this somehow until now. Congratulations, wssmom! Looking forward to trying your delicious bowl of red!
Thanks gingerroot! Did I mention that if there is any leftover chili, it only gets better and better with each passing day?
wssmom. Up my street. Chilli lover, chilli friend - congratulations!!!!
congrats! Looks like we might still have some cool weather (at least in the midwest) to give this a try! and as far as elegance--which i know i struggle with as well, I think your head note where you describe what you like about chili--that it is welcoming, soul embracing and warmth...those ARE elegant qualities!
I'm hungry for chili, now! A cook-off sounds like fun, love your version and hope to try it while the weather is still on the cool side!
We once judged a chili cookoff when it was 94 degrees out ... it was hard to tell whether the beads of sweat on our foreheads came from the chili or the weather!
Well...I was so excited for you that I spelled your name funny (above) :)
woomom works for me!!
This is fabulous! Love the idea of a chili cookoff! When I went to school in Texas, we went to cookoffs regularly---one of my professors had won Terlingua!
Oh! I just saw this! First, big congratulations on being a finalist!! And my professor's name is Jon Watson. It was around 1975 or 76 I think.
Susie Watson won Terlingua in 1975, right after my friend Jane Schofield!!!
What a great chili recipe! And I love your colorful instructions!
Excellent! Great chili - there's nothing like it. Also like the toasting and smacking of wandering hands !! I thing Food52 might need to have a chili cookoff!
I love chili and I love your stories about it. It really is so warm and comforting! Can't wait to try this version, looks great!
Eugenia is the author of the book Well-Preserved and writes about homemade food preservation for the Denver Post's Well-Preserved blog.
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The ingredients: dried chilis, cumin, chili powder, oregano, tomato sauce, bittersweet chocolate, ground pork, beef cubes, garlic, onion and brown sugar.
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We used dried New Mexico chilis to make the homemade chili paste.
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Removing the seeds -- otherwise, the paste would be atomic.
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You just pour a little boiling water over the chilis and let them soften.
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Jennifer helps out in Amanda's absence by frying up some bacon.
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That's some well-tended bacon! Can you tell the food52ers were hungry this morning?
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The hydrated chilis get pulverized in the food processor.
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Checking the consistency, with Jennifer's helpful eye.
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You won't end up with much paste once you've press the chilis through a sieve, but it's powerful stuff.
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Browning the meat, which is cut into beautiful small cubes.
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We advise the use of a screen for this step.
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The ground pork gets browned too.
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Then, the beef goes back into the pot with the onion, garlic and broth to cover.
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After the meat has simmered for 90 minutes, it's time for the spices: first, a whole lot of chili powder.
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Salt and some cumin we toasted in a pan follow.
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Now it's time for the chili paste. Wssmom says to start with half, which we did -- we ended up adding the rest towards the end after we tasted the chili.
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A little chocolate, which had melted from sitting near the stove. No matter!
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And some tomato sauce -- we used canned, but if you have homemade, by all means use that.
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Merrill gives the chili a good stir, and then it simmers for a little longer so that the flavors have a chance to meld.
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It really is a bowl of red!
This was delicious - we served it with tortillas and cornbread. I am not a sour cream fan, but a dab of sour cream and a squeeze of lime was really great on this. Great recipe, thanks for sharing!