Real Texas Chili
There are many cities that claim to be the birthplace of chili, but it was born on the cattle trails of Texas. This will be a big surprise for a lot of you, but real Texas chili does NOT have beans or chunks of tomato. If you want to experience what early Texas cowboys experienced, then follow this recipe. Oh yeah, dont freak out by the amount of chili powder. If you like your chili hot and spicy leave as is, if you like it spicy omit the cayenne.
There are many cities that claim to be the birthplace of chili, but it was born on the cattle trails of Texas. This will be a big surprise for a lot of you, but real Texas chili does NOT have beans or chunks of tomato. If you want to experience what early Texas cowboys experienced, then follow this recipe. Oh yeah, dont freak out by the amount of chili powder. If you like your chili hot and spicy leave as is, if you like it spicy omit the cayenne.
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 16 ounces water
- 1 pound lean beef
- 1 pound breakfast sausage ( not links)
- 6 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 large white onions finely chopped
- 3/4 teaspoon mexican oregano dry
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper optional
- 2 tablespoons masa harina flour or 2 tablespoons cornmeal
- 1/2 cup water warm
- Carbohydrate 7.38154500111485 g
- Cholesterol 77.741370525 mg
- Fat 26.7543565134362 g
- Fiber 3.29625007679696 g
- Protein 20.5695253890738 g
- Saturated Fat 9.32235818553868 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (152g)
- Sodium 452.298393866734 mg
- Sugar 4.08529492431788 g
- Trans Fat 2.88275112308609 g
- Calories 348 calories
Step-by-step
- The sausage used for this recipe is pork country style like Jimmy Dean or Owens roll etcetera.
- Brown meat together in a large 12 inch skillet and drain well. For even lower fat rinse meat with hot water, drain and place back in skillet.
- Stir in 16 ounces of water.
- Add all ingredients except cayenne pepper and masa.
- Simmer 30 minutes.
- Add cayenne pepper (you can always add more later).
- Mix masa and ? cup warm water. Add to chili and stir well.
- Simmer 20 minutes. You can simmer for hours if you want, just stir every 30 minutes.
Chili without beans or tomato relies entirely on the quality of its fat rendering and spice bloom to build a cohesive sauce. Without bean starches or tomato pectin to naturally thicken the pot, textural integrity depends heavily on precise sequencing and a specific finishing slurry.
Brown the beef and pork sausage together in a 12-inch skillet to render out excess animal fat before introducing liquids. Draining the meat thoroughly prevents the chili powder and paprika from floating in an oily slick rather than hydrating in the simmering water. Spices require heat and moisture to release their fat-soluble compounds, which occurs during the initial 30-minute simmer. Dried Mexican oregano and ground cumin need this duration to soften and distribute evenly throughout the meat.
Thickening happens at the very end of the cooking process through a masa harina slurry. Mixing two tablespoons of masa harina with half a cup of warm water hydrates the corn flour before it hits the pot, preventing lumps from forming. When stirred into the simmering chili, the starches in the masa swell within 20 minutes, giving the liquid a glossy body and a distinct toasted-corn aroma that standard wheat flour cannot replicate.
While this recipe utilizes dry Mexican oregano and ground spices for consistency, fresh garlic yields a sharper, more pungent sulfur compound profile than its dehydrated counterpart. Mincing the garlic finely ensures it dissolves into the simmering liquid rather than leaving distinct fibrous pieces in the finished bowl. Adjusting the cayenne pepper at the end allows the palate to gauge the baseline heat of the chili powder before pushing the Scoville level higher.
