ChiliOur Way

Texas-Style Chili

IMAGE: Texas Beef Council

Raise your hand if you make the best chili in Texas.

We thought so. You’re not alone, you know. A Google search for “best Texas chili” gets about 322,000 results, including recipes from San Francisco and by Weight Watchers. Bragging rights stretch a long way.

Our recipes this month aren’t likely to settle any arguments, and we sure don’t want to start any. Beans or no beans? It’s your call. Spicy or mild? It can be good either way. But chili is the official state dish of Texas, as proclaimed by the Legislature in 1977. So for this month’s contest, we’re staying right here in co-op country with our recipes.

Our feature recipe comes from the Texas Beef Council at txbeef.org.

Texas-Style Chili

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 medium onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 pounds sirloin steak, cut into half-inch cubes
1 can (28 ounces) tomatoes, undrained
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chiles
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
6 whole cloves
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

In a Dutch oven, heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and sauté until onions are tender, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add cubed beef and cook until no longer pink.
Add tomatoes, tomato paste, chiles, chili powder, cumin, salt, cloves and cayenne.
Reduce heat to low. Simmer covered for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Servings: 6. Serving size: 1 1/4 cups. Per serving: 515 calories, 44.7 g protein, 23.9 g fat, 24.1 g carbohydrates, 6.3 g dietary fiber, 1,514 mg sodium, 11.5 g sugars, 139 mg cholesterol

Tips:

Make chili a day or two ahead of time.
Chili freezes well. Double the recipe and save the extra for a quick meal.
Cook chili in a Dutch oven if you have one. The flavor difference is remarkable.
Serving chili to a crowd can make party planning easy. Set up a serve-yourself buffet for your guests.