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Moving along on the state series – today we eat Texas!
I’m loving learning about the foods that are special to each state. My daughter lives in Texas and she told me barbecue. Texas is all about barbecue. It’s also Tex-Mex and totally beef. One dish stood out while I was reading about the history of the foods of Texas. Texas Chili.
The story has it that the group of women known as the Chili Queens, cooked for the military installation in San Antonio during the early 1800s. These ladies became known for their beef stew that simmered in a sauce made from chiles – hence the name chili!
The dish moved to the trail – an easy to prepare meal made from fresh meat and dried chiles and spices. Some sources say to add tomatoes, but no where in any history of Texas chili are beans or tomatoes added.
So lets get into the real bowl o’red and take a taste of the two main ingredients – beef and chiles!
Making the Texas Chili
Soak the dried chiles in hot water and let it set for two to three hours.
Add all the remaining ingredients (except the beef and masa) to a blender. Add the soaked chiles and their water (remove the stems).
Puree until it’s well blended. (Note: I used cold lard. That’s what all the white spots in the sauce are. Once it’s starts cooking that melts in and permeates the meat and chiles.)
Cut the meat into 1 to 2 inch chunks. Place the pieces into the crock pot.
Stir in the chile paste, making sure all the pieces of meat are fully coated.
Cook on high for about 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Set the lid off to the side and continue to cook for an additional 30 minutes – longer if the meat is not fork tender.
Transfer to a heavy sauce pan.
Next, put the 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid in a small mixing bowl and slowly stir in masa,
stirring constantly until it becomes a paste.
Stir the paste slowly into the pan with the meat and stir until it’s totally mixed in.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until the sauce thickens up.
Serve hot topped with a little sour cream and a slice of lime.
Now that’s a cup o’red!
The Texas official state dish!
- 2 dried pasilla chiles, also called ancho
- 6 dried guajillo chiles, dried mirasol chiles
- 1 cup hot water
- 1/4 cup beef stock
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons white distilled vinegar
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 Tablespoon chipotle chile powder
- 2 Tablespoon chile powder
- 3 Tablespoons beef lard
- 1/2 cup dark beer (like porter)
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/8 cup masa flour
- 2 to 2-1/2 pounds beef, brisket, tri-tip, chuck
- sour cream for garnish
- limes for garnish
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Soak the dried chiles in hot water and let it set for two to three hours.
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Add all the remaining ingredients (except the beef and masa) to a blender. Add the soaked chiles and their water (remove the stems).
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Puree until it's well blended.
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Cut the meat into 1 to 2 inch chunks. Place the pieces into the crock pot.
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Stir in the chile paste, making sure all the pieces of meat are fully coated.
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Cook on high for about 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Set the lid off to the side and continue to cook for an additional 30 minutes - longer if the meat is not fork tender.
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Transfer to a heavy sauce pan.
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Next, put the masa in a small mixing bowl and slowly stir in 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid, stirring constantly until it becomes a paste.
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Stir the paste slowly into the pan with the meat and stir until it's totally mixed in.
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Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until the sauce thickens up.
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Serve hot topped with a little sour cream and a slice of lime.
Now that's a cup o'red!
© Copyright 2019 The Lazy Gastronome
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