For a good old-fashioned bowl of red, Texas style, I do the following:
I use about 2 pounds of cubed beef stew meat (also works well with ground beef for chili dogs, chili cheese nachos, etc). I brown it in a cast iron Dutch oven or other heavy pot with just a little bit of oil in the pan.
Once the meat is browned, I add to the pan 1 small can of tomato sauce, with another 2 cans full of water.
Then I add about A? of a small can of chipotle peppers with adobo sauce.
Next, I add the following:
4 tablespoons of chili pepper powder (not regular chili powder)
1-A? tablespoons of paprika
1-A? tablespoons of ground cumin
1 tablespoon of dried onion flakes
1 tablespoon of dried garlic flakes
2 teaspoons of oregano (I leave this out since my wife is allergic though)
1 teaspoon of Kosher salt
1-2 teaspoons of Cayenne pepper (add more for extra WOW factor, less for a fairly tame chili)
Bring all ingredients to a low boil, then drop the heat to low for about a 3-hour simmer to tenderize the meat and mix flavors.
Midway though, I add 2 tablespoons of masa powder to thicken the chili.
After 3 hours at a low simmer, stirring about every 15-20 minutes, the chili is ready to serve n a good sized bowl with a big spoon.
Shredded sharp cheddar is a good topping if you like cheese.
Under no circumstances are beans, pasta, or other fillers used in this recipe. I know some folks like that sort of thing...but for the life of me I don't understand why!
