Texas Chili?

Carolina Q

So, Texans... Does this look legit? Dunno, never had any chili in Texas. But this has no beans and no tomato, just chilies, beef, an onion and some seasonings. Turned out moderately spicy, but not over the top. Takes about an hour start to finish in the Instant Pot. I like all kinds of chili, beans or not, but this was one of the best I've had.

I split open the dried chilies and removed the seeds. Toasted them in a dry pan, then simmered them in some chicken stock to soften. Then into the blender. I used 3 guajillos, 3 anchos, one dried chipotle and 3 arbol chilies. Oh, and two more canned chipotles in adobo sauce. Just under 4 lbs of chuck, seared before cubing.

This is similar to a recipe I have for Frank X. Tolbert's Bowl of Red except he used some chili powder and cayenne along with a few dried chilies. I used only whole dried chilies. One of Tolbert's (supposedly) recipes even includes an onion.

The recipe I used is from Kenji and is specifically for the pressure cooker. I used my Instant Pot. The only pic I got was with sliced jalapeño, red onion and (too much) cheddar. An earlier bowl with red onion, jalapeño, avocado and cilantro was better. The avocado was fantastic! I will be making this again!

I let it cook a bit too long I think, and the beef really pulled apart more than I would have preferred. Tasted great though!

Would this pass for chili in Texas?

Thanks fer lookin'!

https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2015/01/pressure-cooker-chile-con-carne-texas-red-chili-recipe.html

ColtsFan

I don't know what you'd call it, but I would smash a couple bowls of it.

Looks good 

TEXASBGE2018

Looks good. But Texas Chili can have tomatoes in it so you would have been fine adding those. Well done! The acid in the tomatoes can help cut down on the heat a bit

Carolina Q

Thanks, guys. I always understood that "real" Texas chili had only beef, chilies, maybe onions and spices. I like tomatoes and beans too - so maybe next time. Maybe not though... this was REALLY good!

Killit_and_Grillit

Looks good! I’d crush that right now. I’m sitting here smelling mine cook down and I’m starving. 

But mine has beans in it. Because this is America and I have the freedom to do that. 

1voyager

I would call it amazing!

bluebird66

Looks great!

bgebrent

Sounds great. 

Foghorn

Killit_and_Grillit said:

Looks good! I’d crush that right now. I’m sitting here smelling mine cook down and I’m starving. 

But mine has beans in it. Because this is America and I have the freedom to do that. 

Yep.  You can do that in America.  But not in Texas.

Carolina Q

Foghorn said:

Killit_and_Grillit said:

Looks good! I’d crush that right now. I’m sitting here smelling mine cook down and I’m starving. 

But mine has beans in it. Because this is America and I have the freedom to do that. 

Yep.  You can do that in America.  But not in Texas.

Austin Egghead

That looks both authentic Texan and delicious.  If I remember correctly, tomatoes officially became an ingredient when Lady Bird Johnson's recipe was published in the Washington Post.  
I have been thinking about getting an Instant Pot and your chili just made that decision for me.  Which model did you get?

jak7028

Looks legit to me, much better than powdered seasonings - and plus one vote on diced tomatoes, I always add them to my chili.  

As far as beans, officially no, but I add them if I feel like it which is not often.  My usual is to add a can of refried beans or bean dip when the chili is done.  It will melt into the chili, slightly flavor it, but it thickens up the juice to more of a juice/gravy consistency.  I add a can for every 2-3 lbs of meat. 

I much prefer cubed meat over ground meat, just more prep work.  

Just made a batch in the Instant Pot yesterday.  

20stone

That looks great, and qualifies in my book, and yes, tomatoes are typical (though not required) and almost any kind of red meat is acceptable (typically cubed, not ground) and even friggin’ fish sauce (a la Kenji) is a reasonable addition. There are really only two hard and fast rules Texas red-wise:
- “meatless chile” isn’t chile
- no beans

 As a side note, I did grow up eating a dish made of ground beef, Ranch Style Beans, chiles, onions and spices. It was always on the stove when we rolled into town sometime after midnight (a mere 8 hours from home in Houston, at least when speed limits were lower), served with cornbread and queso — it was called “Hattie Bell Beans” after the lady who came up with it. 

Carolina Q

Austin Egghead said:

That looks both authentic Texan and delicious.  If I remember correctly, tomatoes officially became an ingredient when Lady Bird Johnson's recipe was published in the Washington Post.  
I have been thinking about getting an Instant Pot and your chili just made that decision for me.  Which model did you get?

@Austin Egghead , thanks, Joan. I have the one linked below (6 quart), though I'm not so sure it's worth $30 for a couple of extra presets. Pretty sure that's the only difference. That and a blue screen with some icons that I never remember what they mean. If I were buying one now, I'd probably get the $100 model. If you look at the number of reviews, the $100 one is far more popular. There's also one for $79.

Hope you enjoy it!

Mine...

https://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-Plus-60-Programmable/dp/B01NBKTPTS?crid=1F77ASJA5JXY2&keywords=instant+pot&qid=1539521327&sprefix=instant,aps,161&sr=8-5&ref=sr_1_5

Killit_and_Grillit

Foghorn said:

Killit_and_Grillit said:

Looks good! I’d crush that right now. I’m sitting here smelling mine cook down and I’m starving. 

But mine has beans in it. Because this is America and I have the freedom to do that. 

Yep.  You can do that in America.  But not in Texas.

I just spit my coffee out. 

Hotch

Nice looking bowl there.
Curious why the chicken stock and not beef to hydrate the chiles?

Carolina Q

Hotch said:

Nice looking bowl there.
Curious why the chicken stock and not beef to hydrate the chiles?

Thanks. I like this even better than Cindy Reed's chili! Quicker too!

As for chicken vs beef, several reasons... First, that's what the recipe called for. Secondly, I have yet to find a low or even reduced sodium beef stock. Third, I'm too lazy to make real beef stock from scratch. Finally, Kenji explains in an article about beef stew...

Beef Stew Rule #6: Use Chicken Stock, Not Beef

We're making beef stew, we oughta use beef stock, right? Not so fast. Unless you're making your own beef broth from beef bones, meat, and vegetables, I would highly recommend sticking with store-bought or homemade chicken stock. Canned or boxed beef stock is almost always inferior in flavor to boxed chicken stock with more flavor enhancing chemicals and less actual beef.

I use low-sodium Swanson Organic chicken stock (you want to use a low sodium stock because we're going to reduce it later on—a full-salt stock will get too salty). Chicken stock is fantastic because it's essentially a blank sauce, stew, or soup canvas. It picks up and enhances other flavors so well. Bolstered with the sautéed vegetables, browned beef, and aromatics, even chicken stock winds up with great, natural beef flavor. But it can still use a little bit of help.

https://www.seriouseats.com/2016/01/food-lab-follow-the-rules-for-the-best-all-american-beef-stew.html

Rascal

Nothing like a bowl of hot chili on a chilly day!!~~

20stone

Carolina Q said:

Hotch said:

Nice looking bowl there.
Curious why the chicken stock and not beef to hydrate the chiles?

Thanks. I like this even better than Cindy Reed's chili! Quicker too!

As for chicken vs beef, several reasons... First, that's what the recipe called for. Secondly, I have yet to find a low or even reduced sodium beef stock. Third, I'm too lazy to make real beef stock from scratch. Finally, Kenji explains in an article about beef stew...

Making your own stock is one of the highest value per effort things going.  Just roast the bones on your egg when you’re wrapping up another cook, and throw them in a pot.  We just throw it into quarts and freeze.  Plus, it is also high on the list of hipster snotiness...”Oh, you BUY stock”?

Carolina Q

20stone said:

Carolina Q said:

Hotch said:

Nice looking bowl there.
Curious why the chicken stock and not beef to hydrate the chiles?

Thanks. I like this even better than Cindy Reed's chili! Quicker too!

As for chicken vs beef, several reasons... First, that's what the recipe called for. Secondly, I have yet to find a low or even reduced sodium beef stock. Third, I'm too lazy to make real beef stock from scratch. Finally, Kenji explains in an article about beef stew...

Making your own stock is one of the highest value per effort things going.  Just roast the bones on your egg when you’re wrapping up another cook, and throw them in a pot.  We just throw it into quarts and freeze.  Plus, it is also high on the list of hipster snotiness...”Oh, you BUY stock”?

I make chicken stock occasionally and you're right, it is FAR superior to anything in a box! It actually as color! Not to mention flavor.

I don't usually have beef bones though. The occasional steak is about it. I cook far more things that could USE beef stock than I do things that MAKE beef stock. And then there's the storage issue. I don't have a freezer (other than the fridge one).

I may have to remedy this soon though... I so wanted to be a hipster!