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I've always enjoyed a hot bowl of chili. Well...up until I prepared the recipe I'm about to share, I thought I liked chili. Actually, as it turns out, what I've really liked all these years was a bland bowl of poorly seasoned tomato sauce and hamburger.
No offense to my momma's cooking. It's not her fault Northerners apparently don't know how to make chili.
Since I'm now living in a state famous for its obsession with chili, I thought it would only be appropriate to learn how to make a pot of chili Texas-style. Well, I did, and now that my singed tastebuds and melted esophagus have fully healed, I'm up for sharing the recipe with y'all (it's funny because I'm a Northerner trying to talk like a Texan). Follow me below the doodle-thingy to learn about my chili exploits. If you know how to make chili better than I do (which many of you probably do), just humor me as I bask in my first Texas-style chili-cooking experience.
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Please come in. You're invited to make yourself at home! Join us beneath the doodle...
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Chili con carne was proclaimed the state dish of Texas in 1977. Texans take their chili very, very seriously. So, before the hate mail comes flowing in, let me start off by saying that this recipe includes kidney beans. I know it's a matter of heated debate, but I've always had kidney beans in my chili, so I'm on Team Kidney Bean. If you think it's blasphemy to include kidney beans in chili, they can be omitted with little consequence.
This particular recipe actually calls for ground venison. Having grown up among hunters in western Pennsylvania, where deer are like houseflies, I've developed quite a taste for venison. Unfortunately, it's nearly impossible to get one's hands on unless you hunt the deer yourself or are close with somebody who is willing to share their venison with you. So I used ground beef to make more traditional chili con carne. But if you're fortunate enough to have access to some ground venison, this chili would probably be much better if you substituted it for the beef. Just saying.
For this chili recipe, you'll need the following ingredients:
![Image Hosted by ImageShack.us](http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/3189/img0405x.jpg)
You'll need 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, an onion, a bell pepper, 6 cloves of garlic, 2 pounds of ground beef, 2 jalapeño chiles, 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon of chili powder, 3/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper, 2-1/2 teaspoons of ground cumin, 1 tablespoon of oregano, 1 (15-1/2-ounce) can of red kidney beans (drained), 1 (28-ounce) can of crushed tomatoes, 1 (6-ounce) can of tomato paste, 3-1/2 cups of beef stock, and 1-1/2 teaspoons of salt.
(Parenthetically, a note on the beef stock: If you buy beef stock, it's kind of expensive. This recipe calls for 3-1/2 cups, and most containers of beef stock in the supermarket only hold about 3 cups. Don't waste the money on two containers - 3 cups will work just fine.)
First, let's get the chopping out of the way. Chop up the garlic. (And yes, I know I'm using the wrong knife for chopping. The sad part is that I used to sell the very knives I use in my kitchen. I'm quite well-versed on kitchen cutlery, but I still insist on using the knife pictured - the "trimmer" - for everything.)
![Image Hosted by ImageShack.us](http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/6695/img0406db.jpg)
![Image Hosted by ImageShack.us](http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/2017/img0407on.jpg)
And chop the bell pepper. I like nice, big pieces of pepper.
![Image Hosted by ImageShack.us](http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/9066/img0410b.jpg)
![Image Hosted by ImageShack.us](http://img715.imageshack.us/img715/9775/img0411er.jpg)
![Image Hosted by ImageShack.us](http://img821.imageshack.us/img821/8738/img0412hm.jpg)
And then throw a stick of gum in your mouth (it really works) and chop the onion.
![Image Hosted by ImageShack.us](http://img341.imageshack.us/img341/7590/img0408kht.jpg)
![Image Hosted by ImageShack.us](http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/7407/img0409r.jpg)
Put the garlic, bell pepper, and onion in a bowl and set aside. Then, while you have the cutting board out, chop those jalapeño chiles up.
![Image Hosted by ImageShack.us](http://img571.imageshack.us/img571/4482/img0417mr.jpg)
![Image Hosted by ImageShack.us](http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/5074/img0424r.jpg)
![Image Hosted by ImageShack.us](http://img638.imageshack.us/img638/2859/img0425nkt.jpg)
Then, put the vegetable oil in a large frying pan and heat it up over medium-high heat.
![Image Hosted by ImageShack.us](http://img545.imageshack.us/img545/6613/img0413bq.jpg)
Throw in the bowl of garlic, bell pepper, and onion.
![Image Hosted by ImageShack.us](http://img825.imageshack.us/img825/3135/img0414ey.jpg)
Sauté them until they're nice and tender.
![Image Hosted by ImageShack.us](http://img825.imageshack.us/img825/2746/img0416ap.jpg)
Then, throw in the ground beef.
![Image Hosted by ImageShack.us](http://img714.imageshack.us/img714/4619/img0418k.jpg)
Mix it in and cook thoroughly.
![Image Hosted by ImageShack.us](http://img857.imageshack.us/img857/6509/img0419gv.jpg)
![Image Hosted by ImageShack.us](http://img692.imageshack.us/img692/6101/img0420emq.jpg)
![Image Hosted by ImageShack.us](http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/8170/img0421zl.jpg)
When it's done, there will be a lot of liquid. Drain it off.
![Image Hosted by ImageShack.us](http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/8922/img0422kx.jpg)
Then transfer it to a large pot.
![Image Hosted by ImageShack.us](http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/962/img0423jbp.jpg)
Now it's time to add all the other ingredients.
![Image Hosted by ImageShack.us](http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/1483/img0427t.jpg)
Stir it all up, and there ya go.
![Image Hosted by ImageShack.us](http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/2231/img0428je.jpg)
Now, bring it to a boil.
![Image Hosted by ImageShack.us](http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/5802/img0429at.jpg)
Once it gets going, turn the heat down and simmer uncovered for about 2 hours. And try to resist the urge to keep tasting it. It's hard, I know. I failed.
In a couple of hours, this is what you'll see:
![Image Hosted by ImageShack.us](http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/5131/img0430tm.jpg)
Yum! Ladle yourself a big ol' bowl while it's hot...
![Image Hosted by ImageShack.us](http://img843.imageshack.us/img843/7906/img0431zg.jpg)
A word to the wise, though: I ain't jokin' when I say this chili is red-hot. Get ready to have your sinuses cleared.
What is really supposed to go well with chili con carne is Indian fry bread. I've never had it, but it looks delicious. The reason I didn't make it is because, well, it looks unhealthy as hell. But if you're interested in making the Indian fry bread, here's how you do it (lifted directly from the book I took the above recipe from, The Food of Texas by Caroline Stuart):
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons solid vegetable shortening
1 cup milk
Vegetable oil for frying
Directions:
Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut the shortening into the flour. Add the milk and stir to form a ball.
Knead the dough on a floured surface for about 3 minutes, until the flour is incorporated and the dough is smooth. Dust with flour if the dough is incorporated and the dough is smooth. Dust with flour if the dough feels tacky. Divide into 8 equal pieces, roll into balls, and put back into the bowl. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
On a floured surface, roll out each ball into a round about 1/8 inch thick. Cut a quarter-sized hole in the center of each round.
Heat 1 inch of oil in a deep pan to 370 degrees Fahrenheit. In batches, add the rounds and fry, until golden brown, about 1-1/2 minutes on each side. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
If you don't feel like doing that, just do what I did and make some cornbread. It complements the chili quite well.
![Image Hosted by ImageShack.us](http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/7407/img0432bd.jpg)
The great thing about chili is that there's no one way to make it. What's your favorite chili recipe?
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March 15, 2012
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