There are all kinds of comfort foods...mac and cheese, beef stew, mom's casseroles, bananas foster...?....but at the top of my list has to be chili - it's what I want on a cold wintry day - or even a summer day! I'm not that discriminatory when it comes to chili and the weather. Several years ago when we lived in Houston, the Houston newspaper ran a story about the annual Texas Chili cook-off that was being held there. I really wanted to go, had the mister all talked into it and then the girl got sick so we had to stay home. But I was thrilled to find the winning recipes in the paper the next day....there were 4 winners - 3 runner-ups and the Grand Champion. I made all 4 recipes over the next few weeks....two of them we absolutely hated! We couldn't figure out what the judges were smokin' when they picked them!
We loved the other two recipes, the 1st runner up and the Grand Champion....and I wish I had clipped the recipe with the winners names on them but I didn't - back then I clipped recipes to fit on my 3" x 5" recipe cards - so trimming them to fit was very important! Since we liked both recipes the same - and they were both just a little different - over the years I combined them into my all-time favorite chili - which I call Famous Chili. Since I didn't lived in Houston long enough to reach "native status" I put beans in my chili - which a native Texan wouldn't do. Hope you like it...and if you don't - let me know, I'm a big girl, I can handle it.
Famous Chili - Pots and Pins
1 lb. sirloin steak, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 (8 oz.) can tomato paste
2 cups V-8 juice
1 can (28 oz.) tomatoes, chopped
1 (12 oz.) can beer
1/4 cup chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 cups chopped onions
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 cans (15 oz.) beans, I like to use 1 can dark red kidney beans, 1 can light red kidney beans and 1 can white beans.
Sour cream (optional)
Cheddar cheese, grated (optional)
Sear meat in the oil until browned in a 5 quart iron pot or something similar. Add onions to the meat and cook until onions are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in all of the remaining ingredients except the beans, sour cream and Cheddar cheese. Simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally, but leave the lid on as much as possible. After 1 hour, add the beans and simmer 30 more minutes, stirring frequently. Serve with sour cream and/or grated Cheddar cheese if desired. Serves 10.
"Wish I had time for one more bowl of chili." Kit Carson's supposed last words.
