Main Ingredients:

See below ingredients and instructions of the recipe

Cooking Preparation of the Recipe:

5 lb Chuck roast
8 Cloves garlic -- crushed
1/4 c Olive oil
2 tb Mexican oregano
1 tb Cumin seeds -- toasted and
Ground
Juice of 1 lime
2 tb Mild chile
2 tb Hot chile
Beef broth
Masa harina
sm Whole dried piquin chiles
Salt -- to taste

This writer's own. On the Texas range, firewood meant mesquite. Not
only did the trail cook use it for his own pit cooking, but the ranch
cook used it to fire his wood stove. Until it was replaced with gas
and electric, mesquite-flavored grilling dominated rural Texas
cooking with its distinctive sweet savor. The meat rof this chili is
seared over charcoal where mesquite chips have been set to flame (the
taste of mesquite charcoal is indistinguishable from that of any
other hardwood), which gives the resulting chili a haunting hint of
smoke -- and without tasting a bit like barbecue, since there is no
onion or tomato in it, none at all.

For the fire: mesquite wood chips and hardwood charcoal.

For the Rub: 2 or 3 cloves of garlic and chili powder.

The chuck roast should be as lean as possible and cut at least three
inches thick. Two or three hours before you plan to make the chili,
rub the meat all over with a mash of crushed garlic and salt then
sprinkle it with chili powder to coat it lightly. Loosely cover it
with plastic and set it aside.

Fire up enough hardwood charcoal to sear the meat in an outdoor grill,
preferably one with a cover. At the same time, soak a few handfuls of
the mesquite chips in the water. When the coals are covered with gray
ash, spread them out evenly, and scatter the soaked mesquite chips
over them. Then immediately set the meat on a grill over the smoke,
about an inch from the coals. Cover the grill and adjust the dampers
to maintain a slow, steady heat. Let meat sear for about 12 minutes
(this is meant to flavor, not to cook the meat) and turn over to sear
the other side for the same amount of time. Remove it from the heat,
saving any juices on its surface, and transfer to the refrigerator.
Let it cool thoroughly, about one hour.

After the meat has cooled, trim away any surface fat or cartilage.
With a sharp knive, cube the meat into the smallest pieces you have
patience for, saving all juices. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy
pot over moderate heat. Stir in the garlic and saute until it turns
translucent. Stir in the meat and all reserved meat juices, adding
just enough beef broth to cover, or about one cup. Pour in the lime
juice and sprinkle in the rest of the seasonings, stirring and
tasting as you go. Crumble in a few piquins or other fiery chiles to
bring the heat up to taste. However, do not try to adjust the
seasoning to perfection right now; it's easy to ruin a chili by
correcting the flavors too soon -- the long cooking will smooth and
sweeten it.

Lower the heat to as low as possible. If the pot is left to boil, the
meat will toughen. Every half hour or so after the first hour, taste
for seasoning, adjusting and thickening with the masa harina a
teaspoonful at a time. The chili should be about ready to eat in
three hours, although it will benefit from a night's aging in the
refrigerator.

Serve it simmering in large, heavy bowls with an ample supply of soda
crackers and a side of beans, but not much else except, maybe, hot,
black coffee or quart-sized glasses of iced tea or a few frosty
bottles of your favorite beer. And, after a good long while, push
things aside, lean back in your chair, and start arguing.

Recipe By : John Thorne Sep/Oct Chile Pepper Magazine

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