Authentic Texas chili with no beans — cubed beef, dried peppers, toasted cornmeal, and salt pork.

Ingredients

Seasoning Mix:

  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 1 tbsp ground guajillo chili pepper
  • 1 tbsp ground arbol chile pepper
  • 2 tsp dried sweet basil leaves
  • 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp dry mustard
  • 1 tsp dried thyme leaves
  • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Main Ingredients:

  • 5 lb beef top round, cut into 1/2" dice
  • 3 dried ancho or poblano peppers
  • 3 dried arbol peppers or any small, thin, hot red chile peppers
  • 6 dried Serrano or guajillo peppers
  • 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
  • 1 1/4 lb salt pork, pork butt, or bacon cut into 1/2" dice
  • 6 cups onions, chopped
  • 6 cups green bell peppers, chopped
  • 3 cups celery, chopped
  • 2 tbsp fresh garlic, minced
  • 4 bay leaves
  • 1 tbsp ground cumin
  • 6 cups beef (preferred), pork or chicken stock
  • 8 medium fresh tomatoes, smashed with juices

Steps

  1. Combine all seasoning mix ingredients (makes 6 1/2 tbsp).
  2. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the seasoning mix all over the meat and work it in well with your hands.
  3. Place the dried anchos, arbols, and serranos on a baking pan and dry them in the oven until brittle, about 10-13 minutes.
  4. Let cool, then crush them with your hands into the bowl of a food processor and blend into a fine powder (about 7 tbsp).
  5. Place the cornmeal in a small skillet over medium-high heat and toast, flipping the cornmeal and shaking the skillet constantly, until the cornmeal is light brown, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
  6. Place your pork in a large heavy pot over medium heat, cover and cook, uncovering the pot occasionally to scrape the bottom, until a light brown color. Remove pork and set aside.
  7. Turn the heat up to high, and when the fat remaining in the pot is hot, add half the beef to the pot and cook, turning once or twice, until browned, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl.
  8. Brown the remaining beef and remove to the bowl.
  9. Add 4 cups each of the onions and bell peppers, 2 cups of the celery, the garlic, and the remaining seasoning mix to the pot. Stir well, cover, and cook 8-10 minutes.
  10. Add the bay leaves, cover and cook, uncovering occasionally to stir, about 15 minutes.
  11. Remove the lid and cook until the vegetables are sticking to the bottom of the pot, about 6 minutes.
  12. Stir in the ground peppers and the browned beef and cook until the meat sticks hard and forms a hard crust on the bottom of the pot, about 20-25 minutes.
  13. Place the pork and 1 cup of the stock in the container of a blender and process until thoroughly blended.
  14. When the meat has formed a crust on the bottom of the pot, stir in the pork/stock mixture and scrape the bottom of the pot.
  15. Add the tomatoes, the remaining 2 cups onions, 2 cups bell peppers, 1 cup celery and 1 cup of the stock. Scrape the bottom of the pot well and cook, uncovered, 12 minutes.
  16. Cover the pot and cook over high heat 8 minutes.
  17. Add the toasted cornmeal and 1 cup more stock to the pot and scrape the bottom.
  18. Stir in the remaining 3 cups stock and the cumin.
  19. Bring to a boil, cover, lower the heat and simmer, scraping occasionally if the mixture starts to stick, about 1 hour and 10 minutes.
  20. Remove from the heat.

Notes

  • Makes 18 cups.