Meat · Recipe · Texas · Reference page

Bowl of Texas red

Name: Bowl of Texas red
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 120 min
Total time: 150 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 60 ml canola oil, divided; 1.3 kg beef chuck, trimmed of excess fat, in 2.5 cm cubes; salt and black pepper; 3 clove garlic, minced; 1 tbsp cumin seeds, toasted and ground; 1 tbsp dried oregano; 946 ml low-sodium beef broth or water; 475 ml beer or lager (one can); 120 ml tequila; 2 tbsp cayenne pepper; 1 tbsp Tabasco sauce; 1 tbsp minced chipotle in adobo; 1 tbsp kosher salt; 120 ml water, for the masa; 2 tbsp masa harina (nixtamalised corn flour); crackers, grated Cheddar, sour cream and chopped onion

Cubes of beef chuck simmered for two hours with cumin, oregano, cayenne and chipotle in broth and beer, then thickened with masa harina. In the Texas manner there are no beans and no tomato. Texas made chili its state dish in 1977.

Editorial illustration of the documented recipe; not a photograph of a kitchen-tested result.

Servings: 4
Preparation: 30 min
Cooking: 2 h
Total: 2 h 30
Difficulty: Easy

Equipment

Heavy 4.7-litre casserole (Dutch oven)
Small dry pan and spice grinder for the cumin

To drink & serve with

Texas
Editorial suggestion: a cold lager, or a Texas red.

Substitutions

Tequila → More broth.
Beer (gluten-free) → More broth or water.

Common mistakes

Using minced beef: Texas red is made from cubes that soften into the sauce.
Adding the masa at the start: it can catch on the bottom during the long simmer.

Storage & reheating

Refrigerate, covered, for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month (source). Cool within 2 hours; reheat until boiling.

Safety

Very hot: 2 tbsp cayenne plus chipotle and Tabasco. Contains gluten (beer); the cheese and sour cream garnishes contain milk and the crackers gluten.

Allergens

Gluten · Milk

Check labels: stock, bacon and sauces can contain further allergens.

The state dish

Chili is the official state dish of Texas, designated by House Concurrent Resolution No. 18 of the 65th Legislature in 1977, according to the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. What exactly goes in it is argued over; the recipe here follows the strict school.

[1]

No beans, no tomato

Andy Husbands and Chris Hart, whose recipe SBS published, cook this "bowl of red" for tailgating and spell out the rule: no tomato, no beans. The red comes from cayenne and chipotle, the depth from well-browned chuck, toasted cumin, beer and broth, and the body from masa harina stirred in for the last half hour. The tequila is their own touch.

[2]

How it connects

Place

origin Texas In preparation

Cut

made with Chuck (US)

Wine region

pairs with Texas