Texas Chili with Dusted Onion Straws

Texas is the official birthplace of chili, and any chili enthusiast will tell you that real Texas-style chili doesn't contain beans. Indeed the use of beans or other fillers like pastas are banned at most of the big time chili cookoffs.

I developed this recipe from scratch pretty much with no clear plan going into it, as to how I wanted the final product to turn out. I just had two criteria: meaty and hot. SO I went to work, tinkering with the chili as it simmered until I got a final product that I was happy with. And boy was I happy with this one. I thought, lets top it off with some southwest seasoned and dusted fried onion straws. Sure why not. The end result was certainly in the all-time top 5 dishes I have made, ever.

A note about this recipe, first I should call it something cooler than, "Texas chili with dusted onion straws." I'm working on that one, but I'm open to suggestions. Second, the exact measurements would be impossible to give so I'll just put a rough estimation. I'm sure you can experiment for yourself to find something that works. The cubed beef really makes the dish outstanding, so I'd recommend it, (cubing it yourself, what I did, doesn't take long) over ground beef. Also be advised, if you want this for dinner, start making it after lunch. The longer it simmers the better, 2-3 hours is my magic number

Here's what you need:
For the chili:
2lbs Top Round Beef (cut into 1 inch cubes)
1 case of Mexican beer (I like Model Especial, but Corona or Tecate or any other Mexican beer will do the trick)*
2 ancho peppers (chopped)
1 jalapeno (slit down the middle)
1 white onion (chopped)
2 cloves of garlic (chopped)
cumin
cayenne
chilli flakes
1 small bottle of Tapatio hot sauce (the best hot sauce ever, in my opinion)
paprika
oregano
salt and pepper
1 8oz can of tomato sauce
smoky mesquite BBQ sauce (I used Stubbs')
beef stock
cheddar cheese (grated)
*Note, you only use once can for the actual recipe, but takes about 3 hours to make, so you want to be well hydrated during that time.

For the onion straws/rings
1 white onion, chopped lengthwise into thin rings
1 cup white flour
1/2 cup of my Cajun seasoning, or if not, seasoning salt
vegetable oil

Here's what you do:

For the chili:
1) Brown your beef cubes in a skillet, drain them, then transfer to a large pot.
2) Turn the large pot on low heat, it will be at this temperature for the rest of the time. Add all ingredients except for oregano, garlic and cheddar cheese. Just dump it all in, I used the entire bottle of Tapatio, and about a quarter bottle of BBQ sauce. You can just set the cheese aside for now, it's for topping the chili once everything is done. It's best to start off with less beef stock rather than more, you can always add more later to thin the chili out. Simmer for one hour, covered.
3) Add oregano and garlic. Stir. The reason why I held off putting these two ingredients in until later, is that if cooked too long they can tend to get bitter. Let simmer for another hour, uncovered this time.
4)Taste test! See how you like it, does it tickle your taste buds? Grab another beer. Add more spice as needed. If it is at the perfect spice level right now, then take out the jalapeno, remember how you just slit it down one side? The longer you leave it in, the hotter the chili gets. It's your chili, do what you want. Also, judge the consistency of the chili, if it is getting to pasty, add either more beef stock or more beer, if it is still too watery, never fear, simmering with the lid off will let it slowly reduce and thicken up, concentrating all the flavours into one power punch. From now on, just let it simmer, uncovered until it reaches the desired consistency.
5) Once it's done, spoon it out into a bowl, top with grated cheese, and on top of that, put some of your delicious onion straws (see below). Pair with a nice cold crisp Modelo Especial.

For the Onion Straws
*These can be called straws or rings, doesn't matter, it all the same. Depending on how thin you cut them, they could be either! Maybe I should call them something different. Like I said, I'm working on it.
1) Get a big Ziploc bag or Tupperware container with a lid. Put your flour and Cajun/seasoned salt in there too, and mix it all around, so you end up with a nice rusty coloured flour.
2) Toss your onions into the flour mixture, seal it nice and tight and give it a good shake. You want complete 360 degree coverage. Your onions should be a little damp from the natural onion juice, but if they aren't then just wet them down with a paper towel, to help the flour stick.
3) Heat up your oil in a medium sized pot. Heat it up pretty hot so we can flash fry these suckers.
4) A few at a time, drop your onions into the oil, stir them around a bit so they don't get stuck together, keep the in for about 5 minutes, then take out and pat dry. Repeat until all your onions are crispified. Feel free to eat them by themselves or as a topping on your chili.

Although this meal takes a long time to make, it's actually pretty easy because you aren't doing anything most of the time. Let the stove do the work for you. But the end result is something, delicious and hearty, easy and cheap to make. Plus, it's endlessly customizable. It also stores really well in the freezer for later days.

Enjoy!

Drink: Modelo Especial
Listen: Sigur Rós, Agaetis Byrjun, Takk, and Með Suð í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust
Three albums here should span the whole process from start to finish. Chili is a very contemplative activity if you think about it, and you can't rush it. Much like the glacial music of Sigur Rós. I've organized the three albums to match the trajectory of cooking chili. As things start to get exciting, around when you start making the onions and you get to eat everything, it gets more upbeat, fun and climactic!