Chilli con carne

Name: Chilli con carne
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 2 h
Total time: 2 h 25 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: United States
Ingredients: 1.2 kg beef chuck, cut into 1.5cm cubes (NOT minced: Texas chilli is chunky); 4 dried ancho chillies, stems and seeds removed; 3 dried guajillo chillies, stems and seeds removed; 2 dried chipotle chillies (or 2 chipotles in adobo); 1 dried de arbol chilli (for heat: omit for milder); 2 large onions, finely chopped; 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 2 tbsp lard or vegetable oil; 2 tsp ground cumin (the essential Texan spice); 1 tsp dried oregano (Mexican oregano preferred); 400 ml beef stock; 1 tbsp masa harina (or plain cornflour, for thickening); 1 tsp apple cider vinegar; 1 tsp salt; To serve: sour cream, grated cheddar, saltines, jalapeños (optional)

Texas-style beef chilli: slow-cooked, bean-free, and fierce with dried chilli

Origin: Texas, United States

From the journey of Chilli Pepper.

Chilli con carne ('chilli with meat') is the state dish of Texas and one of the most fiercely argued dishes in American cooking (the object of competitive cook-offs, regional rivalries, and deeply held opinions about what can legitimately be called chilli. The dish is a direct descendant of the Mexican and Tex-Mex borderland cooking of San Antonio and the Rio Grande Valley, where Mexican culinary traditions merged with the cattle culture of the Anglo-American settlers in the 19th century. The 'Chilli Queens' of San Antonio) Mexican and tejano women who sold chilli con carne from outdoor stalls in the city's Military Plaza from at least the 1860s, are credited with the dish's popularisation. The authentic Texas chilli (as defended by the Chilli Appreciation Society International and the International Chilli Society) contains NO BEANS: it is purely beef, dried chilli, garlic, and cumin. The chilli pepper, which had been cultivated in Mexico for eight thousand years before Texas existed as a political entity, returned to the North American mainland through this border cooking tradition, the circle of the chilli's global journey arriving back at the continent of its origin, transformed by centuries of movement and now defining a new national identity.

Ingredients

Beef

1.2 kg beef chuck, cut into 1.5cm cubes (NOT minced: Texas chilli is chunky)

Chillies

4 dried ancho chillies, stems and seeds removed
3 dried guajillo chillies, stems and seeds removed
2 dried chipotle chillies (or 2 chipotles in adobo)
1 dried de arbol chilli (for heat: omit for milder)

Base

2 large onions, finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped

Fat

2 tbsp lard or vegetable oil

Spice

2 tsp ground cumin (the essential Texan spice)
1 tsp dried oregano (Mexican oregano preferred)

Liquid

400 ml beef stock

Thickening

1 tbsp masa harina (or plain cornflour, for thickening)

Acid

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

Seasoning

1 tsp salt

To serve

To serve: sour cream, grated cheddar, saltines, jalapeños (optional)

Method

Toast the dried chillies in a dry pan for 30 seconds per side. Cover with boiling water and soak for 30 minutes. Drain, reserving the soaking liquid. Blend the chillies with 150ml of their soaking liquid until smooth.
Heat the lard in a large, heavy pot (cast iron preferred) over very high heat. Brown the beef cubes in batches: do not crowd the pan. Season with salt as you go. Remove and set aside.
Reduce heat to medium. Cook the onions in the same pot for 10 minutes until golden. Add garlic, cumin, and oregano, stir for 1 minute.
Add the chilli purée. Stir and fry for 3 minutes until darkened.
Return the beef to the pot. Add the beef stock. Bring to a simmer. Cover and cook over very low heat for 1 hour 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the beef is completely tender.
Mix the masa harina with 2 tbsp water. Stir into the chilli to thicken. Add the vinegar. Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes until the sauce is thick and deeply flavoured.
Taste and adjust: salt, heat (more chilli purée), cumin. The chilli should be dark, thick, and deeply flavoured. Serve in bowls with sour cream, cheddar, and saltine crackers.

Notes

The bean question: authentic Texas 'bowl of red' contains no beans. This is not negotiable among serious Texas chilli partisans. If you want beans, add them (but call it 'chilli with beans' and do not take it to a Texas cook-off. The chilli improves dramatically overnight and is one of the great dishes for advance preparation) make it 1–2 days ahead and reheat. The flavour deepens and the heat mellows to a sustained warmth rather than an acute spike. Chilli con carne freezes extremely well for up to 3 months.

The Gastrographer

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Journey Point Map Key

Ingredient originTrade or transit route

Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control