Texas chili con carne
No beans and no tomato chunks, just tender cubes of beef in a thick, brick-red chile gravy that has simmered for hours, the way Texans make it.
- 180 min total
- 50 min hands-on
- A little more hands-on
- Serves 6
- About $4.44 a serving
- 410 calories
- Good the next day
- Gluten-free
Dolly says: Make the full amount. It’s just as good for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
For 6 servings.
- 2½ lb stew beef, cut into ½-inch cubes
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 cups beef broth
- 1 can tomato sauce, 8 oz
- 2 tbsp cornmeal
- 1 cup shredded cheddar (optional)
- ½ cup sour cream (optional)
From your pantry
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- ¼ cup chili powder
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- ½ cup water
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Each serving has about 410 calories, 42 g protein, 12 g carbs and 22 g fat, and costs about $4.44 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No stew beef? Chuck roast works.
- No yellow onions? White onions or red onions work.
- No beef broth? Bone broth works.
- No tomato sauce? Crushed tomatoes work.
- No shredded cheddar? Cheddar cheese or Mexican blend cheese or Monterey Jack cheese works.
- No sour cream? Plain Greek yogurt works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
Cut the beef into ½-inch , them dry with paper towels, and toss with the salt.
Cube. Cubing means cutting food into chunky, even squares, usually three quarters of an inch to an inch. Same-size cubes cook at the same speed and brown on every side.
How you’ll know: Your pieces look like a handful of sugar cubes, a little bigger than diced, all close to the same size.
Pat dry. Patting dry means pressing paper towels onto food to soak up the moisture on its surface. Wet food steams instead of browning, so this is how you get a good sear and crisp skin.
How you’ll know: The surface feels tacky, not wet, and the last paper towel comes away barely damp.
Food safety: Wash your hands, the board and the knife with hot soapy water after touching raw meat, and don’t rinse raw chicken in the sink.
Heat the oil in a over medium-high heat and the beef in three batches, about 5 minutes per batch, until deep brown. Move each batch to a bowl.
Dutch oven. A Dutch oven is a heavy pot, usually enameled cast iron, with a tight-fitting lid. It holds heat evenly, so it’s great for soups, stews and anything that simmers a long time.
How you’ll know: Any large, heavy pot with a lid does the same job if you don’t have one.
Brown. Browning means cooking until the outside turns brown, which is where a lot of savory flavor comes from. Give food room and time without stirring, or it steams and stays gray.
How you’ll know: The food looks brown rather than gray, and the kitchen smells toasty and savory.
Medium-high heatTimer: 15 min
Dolly’s tip: Small batches brown. A crowded pot fills with juice and the beef boils gray.Turn the heat to medium, add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, then stir in the garlic for 30 seconds.
Medium heatTimer: 5 min 30 sec
Stir in the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano and cayenne for 1 minute, until dark and .
Fragrant. Fragrant means cooking until you can clearly smell it, usually garlic or spices, often in about 30 seconds. That’s the moment the flavor is ready, just before it can burn.
How you’ll know: You can smell it from a step back, and garlic is pale gold, not brown.
Medium heatTimer: 1 min
Add the broth, tomato sauce, brown sugar and the beef with its juices, scrape the bottom, and .
Bring to a boil. It means heating a liquid on high until it’s fully boiling before you move on. A lid on the pot gets it there faster, which makes it a good moment to chop something.
How you’ll know: Big bubbles break all over the surface, and they keep coming when you lift the lid.
High heat
Turn the heat to low, cover and for 2 to 2½ hours, stirring every 30 minutes, until the beef is tender.
Simmer. Simmering means keeping a liquid just below a boil, with small bubbles rising gently. It cooks food evenly and lets a sauce thicken without scorching on the bottom.
How you’ll know: Small, lazy bubbles break the surface every second or so, and nothing is churning.
Low heatTimer: 135 min
Dolly’s tip: If it gets too thick before the beef is tender, stir in a splash of water.Food safety: Steak, pork chops and other whole cuts are safe at 145°F in the middle, then let them rest for 3 minutes before cutting.
the cornmeal into the water, stir it into the chili and simmer uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes, until thick.
Whisk. Whisking means beating quickly with a whisk or a fork to blend things together. It smooths out lumps and mixes eggs, oil or sauces evenly.
How you’ll know: It all looks one even color and texture, with no streaks or lumps.
Low heatTimer: 12 min 30 sec
Dolly’s tip: Cornmeal thickens chili the way Texas cooks use masa, and adds a subtle corn flavor.Stir in the vinegar, taste for salt and heat, and serve topped with cheddar and sour cream.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
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