True Texas Chili
, 2 h 45 min, Serves 4
A minimalist Texas red: dried chiles ground into paste, simmered with cubed beef until tender and bathed in thickened sauce.
| 55 g dried New Mexico, guajillo, or pasilla chiles (6 to 8 whole) | Toast chiles in skillet, 2–3 min per side | Soak chiles in hot water, 15–45 min | Drain, deseed & purée chiles with cumin, pepper, salt & water | Serve topped with sour cream & lime wedge | ||
| 1½ teaspoons ground cumin seed | ||||||
| ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper | ||||||
| 1 tablespoon kosher salt (for paste), plus more to taste | ||||||
| 2 tablespoons lard, vegetable oil, or rendered beef suet (for first beef batch) | Brown first beef batch in lard, 3 min per side | |||||
| boneless beef chuck, well trimmed, cut into ¾-inch cubes (first batch) | ||||||
| 2 tablespoons lard, vegetable oil, or rendered beef suet (for second beef batch) | Brown second beef batch in lard, 3 min per side | |||||
| boneless beef chuck, well trimmed, cut into ¾-inch cubes (second batch) | ||||||
| 1 tablespoon lard, vegetable oil, or rendered beef suet (for aromatics) | Cook onion & garlic in lard, 3–4 min | Whisk in broth, water & masa harina | Stir in chile paste & reserved beef, simmer 2 hrs | Stir in brown sugar & vinegar, simmer 10 min | Rest 30 min, adjust seasoning, reheat gently | |
| ⅓ cup finely chopped onion | ||||||
| 3 large cloves garlic, minced | ||||||
| 2 cups beef stock or canned low-sodium beef broth, plus more as needed | ||||||
| 2 cups water (for broth) | ||||||
| 2 tablespoons masa harina (corn tortilla flour) | ||||||
| 1 tablespoon firmly packed dark brown sugar, plus more as needed | ||||||
| 1½ tablespoons distilled white vinegar, plus more as needed | ||||||
| Sour cream | ||||||
| Lime wedges |
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