Just in time for Super Bowl, I tried a new recipe in my Dutch oven...Texas Red Chili. Apparently, in Texas, Texas Red is made with beef and never contains beans. This is a new concept for me but I was willing to try because it sounded so good.
The recipe calls for beef chuck cut into 1" pieces, not ground meat. I used premium stew beef since nothing here is labelled 'chuck'. (I asked the meat lady at the store and she recommended the stew beef). It is browned in oil and then removed from the pot then onions, jalapeno, and garlic are cooked until translucent. Next you add a whole lot of chili powder - 1/2 a cup! (I only made half a batch so used 1/4 cup). Pureed tomatoes and water are added to make the sauce and the browned meat returned to the pot. The Texas Red Chili simmers for 2-1/2 to 3 hours and cooks down into a dark and rich dish.
Hubby and I totally loved this recipe and even though it didn't represent 'chili' to me, it was great as its own version and I will definitely make it again. I'll admit I missed the beans but the hearty, spicy (flavourful, bold, but not mouth-burning) Texas Red was so tasty that after we were done we kept talking about how good it was! I just keep getting hit after hit with this One Pot cookbook so I am very happy I bought it. We've been eating well!
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