recipe of the week

Recipe of the Week : Classic Texas Red Chili

October is National Chili Month, and right on cue, the first real cool front of the year has rolled into Milam County

October is National Chili Month, and right on cue, the first real cool front of the year has rolled into Milam County. The mornings have a bite to them, the air conditioner's finally getting a rest, and every cook in the county knows what that means: it's chili weather.

Now, we have to address the pot-sized question before we go any further. In Texas, chili — a proper bowl of red — is beef simmered in a rich chile gravy. That's it. Beans are a fine side dish, but they do not go in the chili, a position Texans have defended at cook-offs from Terlingua to the county fair with a seriousness usually reserved for football and property lines. (If your family puts beans in yours, we still love you. We just won't be entering your pot in the cook-off.)

This is the real-deal version: chunks of beef chuck, browned hard, then simmered low and slow until the gravy turns a deep brick red and the meat falls apart at the touch of a spoon. Make it on a Saturday afternoon and your house will smell like fall ought to.

Classic Texas Red Chili (serves 6–8)

For the chili:

- 3 lbs beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes

- 2 tbsp vegetable oil

- 1 large onion, diced

- 4 cloves garlic, minced

- 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced (optional, for heat)

- 2 tbsp tomato paste

- 1/4 cup chili powder

- 1 tbsp ground cumin

- 2 tsp smoked paprika

- 1 tsp dried oregano

- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

- 3 cups beef broth, plus more as needed

- 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste

- Black pepper to taste

- Pinch of sugar

- 2 tbsp masa harina stirred into 1/4 cup warm water (optional, to thicken)

For serving:

- Shredded cheddar cheese, diced white onion, sour cream, sliced jalapeños

- Cornbread or saltine crackers

Directions:

1. Season the beef cubes all over with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the beef in batches — don't crowd the pot — about 6–8 minutes per batch, until well browned. Set the beef aside.

2. Lower the heat to medium. Cook the onion in the drippings for about 5 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic and jalapeño and cook 1 minute more.

3. Stir in the tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, and cayenne. Cook, stirring, for about 1 minute, until the spices darken and smell toasty.

4. Pour in the beef broth, scraping up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pot — that's flavor. Return the beef and any juices to the pot.

5. Bring to a boil, then drop the heat to low. Simmer gently, partially covered, for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, stirring now and then, until the beef is fork-tender and the gravy is thick and deep red. Add a splash more broth or water if it gets too thick.

6. If you'd like it thicker, stir in the masa harina slurry and simmer 10 more minutes. Stir in the pinch of sugar, taste, and adjust the salt.

7. Let it rest off the heat for 15 minutes, then ladle into bowls and let everybody dress up their own with cheese, onion, sour cream, and jalapeños.