Hey guys, welcome back to the Slow 100’s video recipes. This week, we’re going to be making Texas Red Chili. No beans. No tomatoes. No nonsense. Just a hunk of beef, a truckload of dried chilis, and a *lot* of time.
Some of you may be wondering, “but [person], I’ve always eaten chili with beans and tomatoes.” Well that’s illegal here, and I can’t make it for my own security.
Texas chili has its roots in the old American West, where cowboys and ranchers used to grind up beef and dried chili peppers into a hearty, sustaining, pemmican-like meal to take along on the trails (more on pemmican at a later date). Eventually, gastronomy came along and chili turned into a thick, rich, spicy stew that warms the soul even on a blistering Texas summer day.
This chili is in the spirit of what makes the Texas varietal its own beast. I’ve taken bits and pieces from other chili recipes I’ve seen (mostly J. Kenji López-Alt) over the years and condensed them down to a very simple, but extremely flavorful, stew. There are only two ingredients that *really* matter in a chili: peppers and beef; so you better make sure they’re good.
For this recipe, I’m doing something a little different, but still in the spirit of the wild chilis of yesteryear. Today I’ll be using a 4lb trimmed hunk of leftover brisket that we bought because it was a deal too good to pass up. Normally, people use chuck, but this was a great opportunity to demonstrate the flexibility and resourcefulness necessary for healthy eating on a budget. This chili, for instance, was around $10-12 in total and yielded 8 meals for us.
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Ingredients
– Dried Ancho chilies, stems and seeds removed, 5
– Dried Arbol chilies, stems and seeds removed, 5
– Dried Guajillo chilies, stems and seeds removed, 5
– Chipotle chilies canned in adobo sauce, 7 oz (220 g)
– Chicken broth or water, 8 cups (2 L)
– Beef brisket, trimmed of excess fat, cut into steaks, 4 lbs (1.8 kg)
– Salt, 1 tbsp plus more to taste
– Black pepper, to taste
– Cooking fat, 2 tbsp
– Cinnamon, 1/4 tsp
– Unsweetened cocoa powder, 1/4 tsp
– Oregano, 1 tsp
– Cumin, 1 tbsp
– Fish sauce, 1 tbsp
– Vinegar, white or apple cider, 2 tbsp
– Cheese, limes, onions, cilantro for garnish
Directions
1. Trim brisket of excess fat and slice into thick steaks. Add 1 tbsp of salt.
2. De-seed and chop dry chilies. Toast in a dry pan over high heat until fragrant but not smoking. Add 4 cups of broth/water and the canned chipotles. Mix and bring to a simmer. Set aside to cool.
3. In a large pot over high heat, add 2 tbsp cooking fat and sear 1/2 of the steaks until brown and crispy. Set aside
4. Add chilies into a blender or food processor and process until smooth.
5. Dice all beef into 1 inch (2 cm) cubes and add back to pot over high heat.
6. Mix in cocoa, cinnamon, cumin, oregano, and black pepper. Add chili mixture. Stir to coat evenly.
7. Mix in the remaining 4 cups of broth/water and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 3.5 to 4 hours or until chili thickens.
8. Add the vinegar and fish sauce. Simmer for 15-30 more minutes.
9. Serve with Cheese, limes, onions, and/or cilantro for garnish
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Nutritional Information — 6-8 servings
Per Serving
– Calories — 428
– Carbohydrates — 14.1 g
– Fiber — 6.2 g
– Sugar — 0.2 g
– Fat — 21.4 g
– Protein — 51 g
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