Texas Chili and The Chili Queens of San Antonio

HISTORY

Early versions of chili were made up of meat that had been fried in fat and stewed with roasted, dried, ground up chili peppers, not far off from this recipe. Very simple, very delicious.

“Cut two pounds of beef into one-half inch squares, add about two ounces chopped tallow, then salt it. Use a high pot (granite-ware is best), heat in this pot two tablespoonsful of lard; add to this a small-sized chopped onion; when the onion is about half done, add the meat; stir well until the meat is separated and white, then let steam or parboil (with cover off) over a rather hot fire, stirring frequently until the juice of the meat is boiled down, and when it starts to fry add about one and one-half pints of hot water, three tablespoonsful of Gebhardt’s Eagle Chili Powder and a few buttons of chopped garlic; stir well and simmer until meat is tender.”

— Mexican Cooking: The Flavor of the 20th Century by Gebhardt Chili Company, 1910

INGREDIENTS

• 2 lbs (1 kg) beef, I used boneless chuck
• 2 teaspoons (12 g) salt
• 1/4 cup (55 g) tallow
• 2 tablespoons (30 g) lard
• 1 cup (142 g) onion, minced
• 3 cups (700 ml) hot water
• 3 tablespoons (25 g) chili powder, Gebhardt’s Eagle Chili Powder* for extra authenticity
• 2 tablespoons (28 g) minced garlic

DIRECTIONS

1. Chop the meat into small cubes, about 1/2 inch.
2. Mix the beef and the tallow together, then add the salt and mix.
3. Melt the lard in a pot over medium heat and add the onions. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring so they don’t burn.
4. Add the meat mixture and cook, turning the meat frequently. Once all the meat has some color, continue to cook stirring every few minutes.
5. Once the juices have cooked off and the meat is left frying in the fat, add the hot water. Make sure the water is very hot, almost boiling. Add the chili powder and garlic and stir until everything is mixed well.
6. Bring the pot to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer with the lid off for 1 to 1 ½ hours. The time will depend on the heat and the cut of meat you’re using. Mine took an hour for the meat to get nice and tender. You shouldn’t have to add any more water, but keep an eye on it because if the water all boils away, the chili will burn.
7. After the chili has simmered and the meat is tender, serve it forth and transport yourself back to the plazas of San Antonio when the Chili Queens reigned.

NOTES

• Gebhardt’s is still available in grocery stores and online. They say that it’s still the same as it was back in the day (my guess is that there are probably some small additives, but overall the flavor should be the same)