Tex/Mex No-Bean Chili

[Diane aka buzyw2]

This recipe won a local State Chili Association sanctioned cookoff and we were invited to compete at state level back in 1999.  You can adjust the heat if too hot by dropping out the jalapeno or Serrano chili; or add Habanero chili or keep the New Mexico chili pod seeds in the mole if you feel it isn't hot enough.  Enjoy!

6 pods dried New Mexico Chili
2 lbs. Choice quality round steak or top sirloin, cut into 1” cubes
1 lb. 15% fat ground beef or ground pork
1 med. yellow onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic
1 med. green bell pepper, chopped
¼ c. olive oil
1 bunch fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 pkg. (1 oz.) prepared chili powder
3 tbl. ground cumin
1/8 tsp. red pepper
1/8 tsp. paprika
1 lg. can whole tomatoes
1 sm. can tomato paste
1 cube beef bullion or 2 tsp. beef bullion granules
1 Serrano chili, chopped (or yellow chili if you like less heat)
1 jalapeño chili, chopped (optional)

   Deseed the New Mexico chili pods and remove the stems.  Place the chilies in a saucepan filled with water and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to simmer for about 15 minutes.  Remove the chilies with a slotted spoon to a blender.  Add about ½ cup of the water from the saucepan.  Blend until smooth.  Add additional water from the saucepan to bring the measurement to 1 cup.  Pour into a cup and set aside.  DO NOT rinse out the blender.  Pour 1 cup of the water from the saucepan into the blender.  Add the beef bullion cube and blend on medium until the cube melts.  Set the bullion mixture aside.

   Place the chopped onion in a skillet with the hamburger meat.  Cook on medium heat until the meat is browned.  While the hamburger meat is cooking, heat the olive oil on medium high heat and brown the meat quickly to seal in the juices.  Crush the garlic cloves under the blade of large knife and add them to the steak meat.  Reduce the heat to medium and cook the steak meat until medium/well.  You may salt the meat to taste at this time, and I recommend you do not salt the mixture from this point on.  This way, the hamburger meat absorbs the onion and the steak meat absorbs the garlic.  This will give the chili a complex taste.  Add both meats to one simmering pot or Crockpot on medium heat and mix together.

   Add the bell pepper and the cilantro to the pot, and stir into the meat.  Simmer for about 15 minutes over medium heat.

   In this order, add the ingredients to the meat, stirring and mixing well between ingredients:
Prepared chili – most of the powder will stick to the meat even after you add the wet ingredients.
Chili paste mixture set aside from Step 1.  This will “paste” the chili powder to the meat.
            Ground cumin
            Red pepper
            Paprika
            Chopped Serrano chili

Do not add the jalapeños yet.  Let the chili simmer for about 30 minutes.

   Stir in the whole tomatoes, including the juice from the can.  Then, stir in the tomato paste.  Add the cup of bullion mixture set aside from Step 1 and stir well.  Let the chili simmer on medium to high for 30 minutes, then reduce heat to medium for 2 hours, stirring well every 30 minutes to break up the tomatoes.  Reduce heat to low until ready to serve, stirring occasionally.

   If the chili is not spicy hot enough, you may add the chopped jalapeño at this time and simmer for an additional 30 minutes.  If the chili is too hot, you either didn’t deseed the New Mexico chili pods, you added too much red pepper, or you put in the chopped jalapeño instead of the Serrano chili by mistake.  There is no “quick fix” to chili that is too hot except to add brown sugar, beans or other fillers (not recommended).

    Top with onions, shredded cheese or chopped cilantro, if desired.  Serve with warm corn bread (or serve in a sourdough bread bowl) or with celery sticks. 

Serves 8.

[lemonelephant]

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[lemonelephant]

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