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Real Texas Chili recipe Wanted

TC Smoke & Que

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Rick
Cooked some briskets for several different friends and have a couple of lbs left over that I want to make some authentic Texas chili with, but I dont have a good recipe; so I am asking the Brethren Brian Trust to help me out.
I have seen what great chili has been posted here, so I want to give it a shot. Thanks Brethren!
 
lots of chiles (pasillas are mild enough to use a ton of, NM's if you want a little hotter)
unsweet cocoa powder
cumin
molasses/brown sugar
onions
garlic


thats about it
 
Regardless of which recipe you use, there's one step for making homemade chili you might want to consider and that is to make your own powder from scratch.

The flavor that freshly ground dried chiles adds to a pot of chili is nothing short of amazing, and it's very easy. The closest analogy I can think of would be the difference between chili using fresh homemade powder vs store bought powders is like the difference between coffee from freshly roasted and ground beans vs freeze dried coffee.

I have had great results with Alton Brown's chili powder recipe, however, it has way too much cumin in it, so I reduce it by 50%:

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/abs-chili-powder-recipe-1943055
 
^^^ That! And, find a Mexican grocery store, they usual have a good variety of dried chilies and a lot cheaper than most supermarkets.
 
Here's a bunch of recipes that win in Texas chili cookouts.

https://www.casichili.net/recipes.html

Lots of great recipes in there! Bookmarked and I thank you Frognot.

One thing I do not understand about Texas chili is the multiple spice dumps. Is there a cooking/chemical/physics reasoning behind that or is it just the way it has always been done?
 
Here's a bunch of recipes that win in Texas chili cookouts.

https://www.casichili.net/recipes.html

Charles, Thank You for the link! I bookmarked that also.
Most of the recipes I find for "Texas Chili" just do not seem to be what I am looking for.
I have some friends from Texas and I just want them to have that Chili that they know and love.
 
Regardless of which recipe you use, there's one step for making homemade chili you might want to consider and that is to make your own powder from scratch.

The flavor that freshly ground dried chiles adds to a pot of chili is nothing short of amazing, and it's very easy. The closest analogy I can think of would be the difference between chili using fresh homemade powder vs store bought powders is like the difference between coffee from freshly roasted and ground beans vs freeze dried coffee.

I have had great results with Alton Brown's chili powder recipe, however, it has way too much cumin in it, so I reduce it by 50%:

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/abs-chili-powder-recipe-1943055

Watched that video and going to hunt up some of the ingredients for the chili powder. Thanks for the link.
 
Lots of great recipes in there! Bookmarked and I thank you Frognot.

One thing I do not understand about Texas chili is the multiple spice dumps. Is there a cooking/chemical/physics reasoning behind that or is it just the way it has always been done?


the earlier you add spices, the more volatile/aromatic compounds will cook out and/or meld with the dish. adding continuously helps build up a good depth
 
There is not a single specific way of making Texas chili, except it does NOT have any beans in it and sometimes not even tomatoes (but I always put tomatoes in mine).

Instead of using powders, try using rehydrated dried chiles. Remove stem/seeds, toast lightly in dry skillet, soak in hot water 20-30 minutes, blend (can include soaking liquid if not bitter from overcooking chiles). I like to use dried guajillo and anchos for flavor, and maybe some dried New Mexican red chiles. Then sauté fresh jalapeño (or serrano) with the onions for some heat. I also like to lightly toast some of the spices.

Oh, and sometimes the chili seems better the next day.
 
redsaws-jpg.493930




These pasillas were $2/lb


dearbols-jpg.493929



I do have good luck with Don Enrique regarding freshness. That said, the bag was $3, and they cost $5 from the same hispanic grocery where I got the pasillas.
 
This is a great recipe to use with leftover Brisket. It's a lot of work but it's so worth it. Everyone loves this Chili! Depending on how much heat you like you can play around with the Jalapenos. I use a big dutch oven and my Green Egg.
Seriously good!

Step 1

Cook a 12oz package of Bacon till crispy. Pull the bacon out and use remaining bacon grease for sautéing veggies. Green Egg temp ~ 375deg.

Step 2

3 cups celery, chopped
3 small jalapenos, thinly sliced (seeds for desired heat)
1 purple onion, chopped
2 White onions, chopped

Sauté the vegetables in bacon grease until translucent.

Step 3

Add 4 cloves of garlic, pressed and diced. Sauté garlic for about 30 seconds. Careful not to burn.

Step 4

Add the following spices and allow the mixture to bloom.

½ cup + 2 TBL chili powder
2 tsp. smoked paprika
2 tsp. cayenne
1 TBL cumin
2 tsp. Mexican oregano
2 tsp. granulated onion
2 tsp. granulated garlic

Step 5

Add 1 cup of red wine (Pinot Noir or Merlot)

Reduce the wine down for about 5-10 minutes. Start Lowering Green Egg Temp to ~ 250deg.

Step 6

Add following ingredients

1 x 14 oz. can tomato sauce
3 x 15 oz. cans diced tomatoes
3 cups LOW SODIUM beef stock/broth
12 oz. V-8 juice
3 TBL Knorr Tomato Bouillon w/ Chicken Flavor (powdered)
1 1/2 TBL of whatever rub you used on the brisket (Holy cow)
2 - 3 lbs. of cooked smoked brisket, cut into 3/8” cubes


Step 7

Simmer Chili for approximately 2-3 hours, stirring every so often. Pull off when Brisket is tender and almost shredding apart. Serve with any fixings – Bacon, sour cream, cheese, crackers etc.
 
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