Texas Chili con Carne
Coarsely cubed beef chuck simmered for hours in a sauce built from whole dried ancho and guajillo chiles rather than jarred chili powder, thickened with masa harina. Traces to San Antonio's "Chili Queens," the Mexican-American women who ran open-air food stalls selling bowls of chili con carne through the 1880s-1930s, and holds firmly to Texas's real, longstanding no-beans rule, codified by the Chili Appreciation Society International's competition standards.
Meat
⚠ Contains: Dairy. Always check your own ingredients — this isn't a guarantee for severe allergies.
Ingredients
- 3 lb (1.4kg) beef chuck, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 4 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 3 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp dried oregano, Mexican oregano preferred
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 3 cups beef stock
- 1 tbsp masa harina, mixed with 2 tbsp water
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1-2 tsp cayenne or chile de arbol, to taste
- Chopped white onion and shredded cheddar, for serving, optional
Steps
- Toast the ancho and guajillo chiles in a dry skillet 30 seconds per side until fragrant, then soak in 2 cups hot water 20 minutes until softened.
- Blend the soaked chiles with about 1 cup of their soaking liquid until smooth, straining to remove the skins if desired.
- Season the beef cubes with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large heavy pot over high heat and brown the beef in batches, 4-5 minutes per batch, setting it aside.
- In the same pot, saute the onion until softened, about 5 minutes, then add the garlic, cumin, oregano, and paprika, and cook 1 minute until fragrant.
- Return the beef to the pot and stir in the blended chile puree and beef stock.
- Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low, cover partially, and simmer 2-2.5 hours, stirring occasionally, until the beef is fork-tender.
- Stir in the masa harina slurry and simmer uncovered 15 more minutes to thicken.
- Adjust the salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste.
- Serve hot, topped with chopped onion and shredded cheddar if desired, with no beans.