Chili

Meatballs with Tex-Mex Chili Gravy

INGREDIENTS
1/4 Cup lard or vegetable oil
1/4 Cup plus 2 Tbsp Masa Harina
1-1/2 tsp Black Pepper Fine Grind
1-1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
2 Tbsp Chili Powder Medium
2 tsp Cumin Ground
1 tsp Paprika Smoked Sweet
1-1/2 tsp Oregano Mexican
1 tsp Garlic Powder
2 tsp New Mexico Chile Powder
1 tsp Chipotle Chile, Brown Powder
1/2 tsp Coriander Ground
2 Cups beef stock
1/2 medium white onion, finely chopped
1-1/2 lb ground pork
1 large egg
1/4 fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1/2 Cup Queso Fresco, crumbled, or Monterrey Jack, shredded

STEPS

Make the Chili Gravy: warm the lard or vegetable oil, along with 1/4 Cup of masa harina in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Use a whisk to continuously stir the mixture until the masa begins to turn golden and is fragrant, about 4 – 5 min. Add 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp kosher salt, 2 tsp cumin, 2 Tbsp chili powder, 1 tsp paprika, and 1 tsp oregano to the mixture. Continue to whisk the spices into the mixture, about 30 seconds. You will be completely engulfed in the smell of Tex-Mex goodness as the spices warm (it also will make your house smell fantastic). Add the beef stock to the mixture, a little at a time, while continuing to stir. Cook for a few more minutes until gravy coats the back of a spoon.

Make the Meatballs: Preheat oven to 400°F and oil a baking sheet. Use a wooden spoon (or your hands) to mix the ground pork with onion, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp oregano, 1/2 tsp coriander, 2 tsp New Mexico Chile Powder, 1 tsp Chipotle Chile Powder, and 1 tsp Garlic Powder. In a small bowl, vigorously whisk 2 Tbsp of Masa Harina in egg until the mixture is frothy and any lumps dissolve. Pour the egg mixture over the pork mixture and stir to combine. Scoop up about 1/4 of mixture and shape into a batch of meatballs about 1-1/2″ in diameter, placing each on a rimmed baking sheet about an inch apart. Bake meatballs for 20 minutes; pieces will be darkened and cooked through. Repeat process with another batch of meatballs.

Add finished meatballs to the gravy skillet; toss gently to coat. Simmer until meatballs are thoroughly heated.  Remove meatballs and gravy to a serving dish. Garnish with cilantro and cheese and serve warm.

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Chile Colorado

Inigo+Montoya+from+The+Princess+BrideChile Colorado. It’s the local variation on your favorite Tex-Mex stew, served in Denver, right?

Wrong.

Even though Chile Colorado is a popular dish that you’ll find at Mexican restaurants around the state of Colorado, the name literally means “chili that is red-colored.” We’ll claim it as a Colorado dish for our purposes here, since that is where we first encountered it.

Plus, it’s what we wanted to eat while we watch the Denver Broncos play in the Super Bowl this year (2016).

Also, Chile Colorado purists point out that it uses *beef,* not pork, and does not include beans in the recipe.

INGREDIENTS

2 – 3 lbs beef shoulder roast, cubed
1/2 Cup all-purpose flour
4 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
5 tsp Medium Chili Powder
2 tsp Ground Cumin
2 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Onion Powder
6 oz (1 small can) Tomato Paste
2 Cups water
Salt and pepper to taste

STEPS

Denver_BroncosSprinkle flour evenly across a broad flat bowl or dinner plate, and add the beef cubes, tossing gently to completely coat the meat. Shake off any excess flour before adding cubes to a large skillet or heavy Dutch oven, where the olive oil has been heated on medium-high heat.

Brown the beef in the hot skillet, turning pieces frequently to make sure each side gets browned, about 15 min. Add the ground spices, tomato paste, and the water. Stir to thoroughly incorporate ingredients into the browned beef cubes.  Bring the pot of chili to a low simmer.

Put the lid on the simmering chili and cook over a “low and slow” heat for about 1-1/2 to 2 hours. You will know the beef is done when, if you place a cube of it on your cutting board, it is fork-tender and falling apart.

Serve chili in bowls, and/or with fresh corn tortillas, with rice and beans, or as a filling in a loaded burrito.

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Smokin’ Coffee Chili

INGREDIENTS

1 lb coarse ground beef

2 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 medium onions, chopped
3 Tbsp Chile-Coffee Rub
2 Tbsp Chili Powder
1 Tbsp Ground Cumin
2 tsp Dried Oregano
1 x 28-oz can crushed tomatoes with added puree
1 x 15-oz cans diced tomatoes
1 tsp sugar
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2 x 15-oz cans or your favorite beans, rinsed, drained
1 Cups water
2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Chipotle Brown Powder (add more if you like the smokey heat)

STEPS

Gather an assortment of your favorite chili toppings: crumbled cooked bacon, sour cream, chopped fresh cilantro, chopped green onions, shredded cheese, sliced jalapeños, etc.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a heavy, large pot over medium-high heat. Add chopped onions and sauté until translucent, about 8 min. Add ground beef and cook over medium-high heat, browning meat until it is tender and no longer pink, about another 8 minutes.

Sprinkle meat-onion mixture with the chile-coffee rub, chili powder, cumin, and oregano. Stir spices into the meat and cook 1 minute. Add the canned tomatoes, sugar, and garlic. Bring chili mixture to a low boil before reducing  heat to medium-low. Cover pot and simmer meat-tomato mixture for 30 minutes.

Add canned beans, water, salt, and chipotle powder. Bring back to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium. Simmer the chili, uncovered, allowing the mixture to thicken slightly, stirring often, about 30 minutes.

MAKE AHEAD: This chili can be prepared 1 day in advance. Allow completed recipe to cool off before popping into the refrigerator. Refrigerate chili, uncovered, until dish is completely cold, then cover and return to the fridge. Rewarm before serving.

TO SERVE: Put the different toppings in individual condiment bowls. Ladle chili into bowls, and serve toppings alongside.

This chili pairs really well with this Sweet & Spiced Cornbread.

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Sweet & Spiced Cornbread

INGREDIENTS

1-1/3 Cups coarse stone-ground yellow cornmeal
1 Cup unbleached all purpose flour
1/4 Cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp coarse kosher salt
1-1/2 Tbsp Texas Chile Seasoning
1 Cup plus 2 Tbsp buttermilk
9 Tbsp (1 stick plus 1 Tbsp) unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk, beaten to blend

1/4 Cup Honey Powder or Granulated Honey

STEPS

Butter (or oil) a 9 x 5 x 3 -inch metal loaf pan and preheat oven to 375°F. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, Texas Chile Rub, baking powder, and coarse salt. Add the buttermilk, melted butter, and beaten eggs to the dry ingredients, and stir batter with wooden spoon until well blended. Allow the mixture to stand a full half hour to let the dry ingredients absorb all the liquid.

Transfer “rested” batter into the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle top of loaf generously with powdered or granulated honey before baking bread in 375F oven about 40 minutes. Cornbread will be browned around edges and a tester, inserted into center of loaf, comes out clean. Remove loaf to a wire cooling rack and allow bread to rest in pan 5 minutes before turning out loaf to cool completely on rack.

DO AHEAD: This cornbread recipe can be made up to two days ahead. Wrap cooled loaf in foil and store at room temperature until ready to serve. Serve with butter (plain or compound!) that is softened at room temperature.

Great when paired with your favorite chili recipe.

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Alamo Texas Chili

Makes a large batch of chili

INGREDIENTS

3 Tbsp bacon drippings (otherwise, use olive oil)
1-1/2 large onions, chopped
4 lbs beef stew meat, or coarse ground beef
5 cloves fresh garlic, finely chopped
2 Tbsp ground red chile pepper (we like Ancho Chile or New Mexico Chile)
4 Tbsp Texas Chile Seasoning
1/2 Tbsp Ground Cumin
2 Tbsp Smoked Sweet Paprika
1 tsp dried Mexican Oregano
3 small (10 oz) cans tomato sauce
1 small (6 oz) can tomato paste
2 Cups water or stock
2 Tbsp Salt
1/8 Cup dried Parsley (optional)
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced (optional)

STEPS

Heat the bacon drippings in a large heavy pot over medium heat. When the fat is sizzling hot, add the chopped onions and cook, stirring frequently until they are fragrant and translucent.

In a large bowl, combine the beef pieces with the minced garlic, ground chiles, Texas Chili Seasoning and Cumin. Toss to coat meat with the spices, then add seasoned meat to the onions. Cook the stew meat, using a heavy wooden spatula to separate pieces and brown on all sides, stirring occasionally, about 30 min, until meat is well-browned on every side. Season browned stew meat with paprika and oregano.

Add tomato sauce and paste, water, salt, parsley and jalapeno (if using) to the browned meat, stirring to thoroughly coat. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat, then lower heat to a bare simmer. Cook, uncovered, for at least one hour, or until chili reaches your preferred consistency. Stir occasionally, and taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.

A word about “Texas-style” chili: a “true” Texas chili does not have beans in it (weird, I know, right?). If you’re like us, and prefer beans in your chili, you can add two cans of (drained, rinsed) beans when you add the tomato sauce and water. You may want to add a little more liquid to accommodate the greater volume of chili ingredients.

Adapted from a recipe at AllRecipes.com.

 

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