Ingredients

• 2 pounds lean beef, coarsely ground for chili
• 1-½ medium onions, chopped
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 8 oz. tomato sauce
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon heaping ground cumin
• 3-4 cloves fresh garlic, minced or pressed
• 1-½ tablespoons heaping chili powder (see recipe for directions on making ancho chili powder)--or 2 medium pods ancho chilies
• 1-2 fresh poblano chilies (to taste)
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 fresh jalapeno pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
• 2 teaspoons oregano
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon Tabasco sauce
• 2 tablespoons heaping masa flour (can substitute regular wheat flour or ground yellow cornmeal if necessary)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Method

Get a case of beer (preferably Mexican beer . . . I prefer Corona, Bohemia, or Superior.

Acquire the listed ingredients.

Pour yourself a beer and congratulate yourself on undertaking such a fine endeavor as making true Texas chili--that which is without beans.

Place dried ancho chilies on a baking sheet in a 350-degree oven until fragrant and puffed, about 6 minutes. Cool, stem, and seed, tearing pods into pieces. Place pieces of the pods in a spice grinder [dedicated--don't use your coffee grinder unless you like spicy coffee!] or food processor and process until powdery, 30-45 seconds. To season 2 pounds of beef, you should end up with about 1/4 ounce ancho chili powder.

Now, have another beer. If you have managed to round up all of the above ingredients and deal with dried ancho chilies, you deserve one. It will also help to give you the correct attitude for making chili.

Heat vegetable oil in Dutch oven. Saute onion and half of the minced garlic for about 5-6 minutes, until softened. Do not let garlic burn.

Add chopped jalapeno and saute for one minute.

Mix ground ancho chili, ground cumin, oregano, ground coriander, and diced poblano with a little water to make a paste. Add to vegetables in pot and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Get yourself another beer. Admire its color in the glass. Savor its flavor as you take a long drink.

Add ground beef and remaining garlic; raise heat and cook until beef is browned, being sure not to burn the garlic.

Add tomato sauce, lime juice, and Tabasco. Rinse the tomato sauce can with beer and pour the beer into the pot too.

Heat all ingredients to a mild boil, turn the flame down IMMEDIATELY and simmer for at least one hour and 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Skim off excess grease as it rises to the top.

Consider the list of ingredients again. Think about what a pain-in-the-ass it is to assemble them. Have another beer.

After at least an hour and 15 minutes, when the meat is tender and the juices are dark, rich, and starting to thicken (may be as long as two hours), mix the masa flour with enough warm water to make it pourable (but not too thin)--try a ratio of 2 tablespoons masa to just over 1/3 cup water. When you have made a smooth paste with the masa and water, stir it into the chili and cook at least another 20 minutes.

Serve with Saltines or over (or topped with) corn chips. Additional accompaniments might include sour cream, grated cheese, diced red or white onion, chopped fresh cilantro leaves, or diced avocado. Don't forget the beer.

Notes

This recipe is a combination of Don Henley's Texas Chili as recorded at http://www.g6csy.net/chile/recipes2/Don%20Henley's%20Texas%20Chili.txt and Texas Chili Con Carne from America's Test Kitchen as recorded at http://www.g6csy.net/chile/recipes/Texas$20Chili%20Con%20Carne.txt