Thread by @Gunntwitt

It’s overcast and rainy in Nashville today and i got a wild-hair for Texas Bowl-o-Red (Chili). This thread will detail how to make a proper bowl of Texas chili. It’s about food, but it’s ALSO about cooking techniques & chemistry. The devil is in the details. Let’s begin:

Hardware: A good Dutch Oven.

Software:
3lbs brisket (cut into 1” cubes)
1/4 C veg. oil
2 med yellow onions (diced)
6 large cloves garlic (minced)

2 TBL ground Cumin
2 TBL Chili Powder
1 TBL Red Pepper Flake
2 tsp Cayenne Pepper

2 green bell peppers (chopped)
2 bay leaves

(ingredients continued)

2ea 28oz cans of San Marzano peeled tomatoes.
1 TBL kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper

1/2 C strong black coffee
2ea 15oz cans of kidney beans (The beans are optional)

Serve w:
grated white cheddar
diced tomato
tortilla chips
guacamole

That’s a $30 cut of brisket. I don’t want to screw this up, so I prepare all of my ingredients in advance. I put my diced, and chopped, and sliced ingredients in Tupperware and ramekins; all ready to go because once you start cooking things happen pretty fast.

I start by pre-heating 2 TBL of vegetable oil in the Dutch oven, over medium heat. I’m going to cook the 3 pounds of brisket in 4-5 batches of 20-25 1“ cubes (no more). Leave the pieces in the pot for :04 minutes (undisturbed) then turn each piece over for another :04 minutes.

I’m trying to brown the meat. Therefore it’s important to a.) pat the meat dry before browning and b.) not crowd the meat in the pot. Too much meat in the pot will create steam and prevent browning. 20-25 pieces max, per batch.

The other thing to focus on, at this stage is the temperature. If you’re getting a lot of smoke your pot is too hot; reduce the temperature. If you’re getting a lot of foam (like here), raise the temperature slightly.

This is what you’re looking for in temp... not too foamy but not too smoky... note the bottom of the Dutch oven is beginning to take on browned bits from the charring of the meat - this is good.

After :08min (:04min each side) my 1st batch is done and I set each batch of pieces aside, in a strainer... then put down the next batch right on top of the blackend bottom and set timer for another :04min (undisturbed) then turn for :04min, and so on. Always adjusting the temp

By the 4th or 5th batch, The bottom of the pot is nearly black. This will add tremendous flavor to the chili.

Btw, the pieces of meat that you’ve set to the side look and smell delicious but they’re still undercooked and tough, not good for nibbling.

How are we going to get the black bits and char, off of the bottom of the pot? Answer: we’re going to put our diced onions in the pot, for :08min. Let them sit undisturbed for the first :03 minutes. You’ll need a wooden spoon.

After :03min, add the minced garlic, and begin to work the bottom of the pan with the wooden spoon pulling up the brown bits.

Note: if you added the garlic at the beginning of this :08 min phase, with the onion, your garlic would be in too long and probably burn.

As we approach the end of the :08 min onion sauté, you can see the onions have thrown off enough moisture to loosen the brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Time to add our spices.

The combination of spices including the chili powder, red pepper flake, cayenne pepper, and ground cumin (especially the cumin) causes a burst of aroma, and it’s now really starting to smell like chili. Stir the spices onion and garlic for :01 minute.

Then toss in our chopped green peppers, the two cans of crushed Tomatoes with their juices, the Bay Leaves, Salt, Pepper, and the reserved Meat, all back in the pot, bring everything to a boil, then reduce the temperature to simmer and cover for 2.5hrs.

You can see in this clip at the beginning of my 2 1/2 hour simmer that the mixture is too dry. It would burn over the course of 2 1/2 hours if left like this - so I’m going to top off with a cup or two of beef stock.

Now it’s “Liquidy” enough to withstand a long simmer, so reduce temperature and simmer for 2.5 hours. Then add 1/2 cup of strong black coffee (optional)

I’m adding two 15oz cans of dark red kidney beans. Check the taste now and see if you need to add any more salt. Then continue to simmer for 1 more hour.

A few words, about beans vs. no beans: “I don’t care.”

If your chili depends on beans or no beans you’ve already lost.

I went outside and cut off some fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley (but you could use cilantro, too), and I chose this Cabot White Oak Cheddar to go with the chili - h/t to @NYFarmer For turning me on to Cabot, years ago.

Anticipation...

...and there you have it. I can’t begin to tell you how perfect this chili is. It’s everything you imagine. It’s perfectly spiced. Leaves your lips slightly stinging, and the brisket is sublime.