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Authentic Chili con Carne Recipe
San Antonio, United States of America
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We strongly advise you to read the cooking tips before jumping to the recipe though
Introduction & history
The original chili con carne is a stew made from various types of stewing meat — beef, pork, and venison — that is cooked with onions and garlic over low heat for at least a couple of hours and heavily seasoned with a variety of chili peppers. Nowadays, the majority of recipes contain additional ingredients, from the ever-popular tomatoes and beans to more unconventional ingredients like cocoa, beer, and honey. This hearty meal is commonly served topped with grated cheese or sour cream and sides like cornbread, tortillas, and tortilla chips.
Pair with
Cooking tips
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meat
The meat can be either ground or cut up in cubes. For more depth of flavor, you can sear your meat first before you cook the dish. -
liquid
Besides the liquid from tomatoes, other types of liquid, aside from water, can be used, such as beef stock, wine, and beer. -
ingredients
Popular choices when it comes to adding flavor and depth to the already succulent dish include ground paprika, red bell peppers, ketchup, and even coffee. -
chilli peppers
Most chefs recommend that you stay away from chili powder. Instead, it’s best to use a variety of different chili peppers. Handle them with the utmost care and wear gloves. -
serving
Another way to serve chili con carne is to serve it over rice or pasta, preferably spaghetti. If you’ve cooked your chili without beans, spread a spoonful over hotdogs to get chili dogs. The dish itself freezes well and is best to be eaten the day after — you just need to skim off the top layer of fat before reheating it.
Recipe variations
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Original Texas-style Chili
Ready in 2h 15minAdapted from the 1953 A Bowl of Red by Frank X. Tolbert, a Texas journalist, and historian, this recipe follows the rules of a true, original chili, meaning no beans, no tomatoes, no onions, and no “fillers”. The chile pods are precooked and then added to the dish. And, if desired, for extra spiciness, more chile pods can be added a few minutes before the meal is finished.
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Original San Antonio Chili
Ready in 3hAdapted from the library of The Institute of Texan Cultures, the following recipe is the one used by the Chili Queens of San Antonio, although slightly adapted to today’s standards and measures. Chili in itself is a pretty simple and easy dish to make. The thing to be mindful of is to wear gloves when handling those hot chilies. And if you’d like to add beans to the dish, make sure you follow the original recipe and cook and serve those separately.
-
Chili con Carne with Beans and Tomatoes
Ready in 1h 10minAlthough traditionally, chili con carne does not have beans and tomatoes, in this popular variant, both are included. That said, making chili con carne with beans has been such a widespread and long-standing practice it's considered a traditional variant. Serve over boiled rice, topped with sour cream.
Original Texas-style Chili
PREP 30min
COOK 1h 45min
READY IN 2h 15min
Adapted from the 1953 A Bowl of Red by Frank X. Tolbert, a Texas journalist, and historian, this recipe follows the rules of a true, original chili, meaning no beans, no tomatoes, no onions, and no “fillers”. The chile pods are precooked and then added to the dish. And, if desired, for extra spiciness, more chile pods can be added a few minutes before the meal is finished.
Ingredients
Original Texas-style Chili
3 lbs lean beef, preferably stewing meat
2 oz beef suet, or substitute vegetable oil
3-6 Ancho chile pods, boiled 5 minutes, cooled, stemmed, seeded and chopped, cooking water reserved, or 3-¬6 tbsp of chili powder or ground chile
1 tsp oregano
1 tbsp crushed cumin seed
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp Tabasco sauce
2-4 minced garlic cloves, to taste
2-4 extra Ancho chile pods
2 tbsp masa harina or cornmeal
Preparation
1
Original Texas-style Chili
Step 1/5
In a grill pan cook suet, then remove when it has melted. In
Step 2/5
In two or three batches sear the beef meat, then transfer to a large pot with pepper pods and together with as much cooking liquid to prevent the meat from burning—two inches of liquid above the meat is just about right.
Step 3/5
Bring that to a boil and then simmer for 30 minutes after which you will add in all of the ingredients except Masa and Anchos. Cover the pot and leave to simmer for another 45 minutes while occasionally stirring.
Step 4/5
While it’s cooking, remove the grease on top and adjust the seasonings. Add extra stemmed and seeded Ancho pods (not chopped) if you’d like the taste to be hotter.
Step 5/5
To thicken the liquid, add Masa Harina and simmer for another 30 minutes or until the meat is tender.
Other Variations
-
Original San Antonio Chili
Ready in 3hAdapted from the library of The Institute of Texan Cultures, the following recipe is the one used by the Chili Queens of San Antonio, although slightly adapted to today’s standards and measures. Chili in itself is a pretty simple and easy dish to make. The thing to be mindful of is to wear gloves when handling those hot chilies. And if you’d like to add beans to the dish, make sure you follow the original recipe and cook and serve those separately.
-
Chili con Carne with Beans and Tomatoes
Ready in 1h 10minAlthough traditionally, chili con carne does not have beans and tomatoes, in this popular variant, both are included. That said, making chili con carne with beans has been such a widespread and long-standing practice it's considered a traditional variant. Serve over boiled rice, topped with sour cream.
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