I am an admittedly proud Texan, and while I may not own a horse, I do follow a couple very strict Texas rules:
- Texas chili must be made of REAL beef (no ground beef, turkey, or meat substitute).
- Texas chili is made of meat, liquid, and spices. Absolutely no fillers such as rice, pasta or BEANS. These additions turn the damn thing into a stew or a soup. Even tomatoes are questionable.
Chili is the official state dish of Texas, so it’s only fair that we make the rules. My favorite chili is still my Traditional Texas Red Chili, but that requires quite a bit of time and effort. A friend of mine gifted me this recipe instead, and while it does have diced tomatoes, it’s also incredibly simple and a huge hit with the family.
Real Texas Chili
Real Texas all chuck beef chili. Absolutely no beans or ground meat, as God intended. Super easy to make and barely requires any work in the kitchen. Excellent on its own, or with Fritos, cheese, and sour cream.
Equipment
- dutch oven / large pot with a lid
- collander / strainer
- wooden spoon
Ingredients
- 3 lb chuck roast cut into 1/2" cubes
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup spicy tomato juice
- 1 15 oz can chopped tomatoes
- 2 cups beef stock
- 4 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper optional
- 1.5 tbsp cumin powder
- 2 tsp oregano
- 1-2 tbsp masa
- 1/2 cup water
Instructions
Brown meat. Drain fat.
- Heat up your dutch oven / pot to medium high heat. Add 2 tbsp oil. Season the cubed chuck with salt and pepper. Add meat to your pot. Cook and stir occasionally.
- Once the meat is a bit grey (~5 min), it will have released liquid and fat. Drain the beef well in a strainer. Return meat to the pot on medium high heat. Cook and stir until meat has browned (~5 min).
Sweat aromatics. Deglaze the pot.
- Add onion and garlic. Sweat (cook til translucent ~3 min).
- Add tomato paste. Stir and cook until tomato paste has browned (~5 min). Add beef broth and scrape the fond (brown bits on the bottom of the pan) with a wooden spoon.
Add remaining liquids and seasonings. Cook low and slow.
- Add tomato juice, chopped tomatoes, chili powder, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, cumin powder, and oregano. Mix well.
- Increase heat and, bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 2.5 to 3 hours. Check every hour and stir. If the chili looks dry, add 1 cup of water and stir.
Add masa slurry. Season. Eat alone or with your favorite garnishes.
- In a small bowl, mix together masa and 1/2 cup of water. Stir well into the chili. Taste and season as needed.
Notes
Turn it into a Frito pie by adding Fritos, sour cream, and cheddar cheese.