Recipes

Coyote Pass Pepper Popper Chili

210 min • 8 to 10 servings •

JC Wilson

210 min • 8 to 10 servings•

JC Wilson

Hearty beef stew with vegetables served in a white bowl, garnished with parsley, next to a pot of stew on a stovetop.

This is my Dad’s recipe. He’d probably kill me if he knew that I was sharing it. But it’s too good to keep secret. If you see my Pop please don’t spill the beans.

Ready

Meat

3 to 3 ½ pounds of meat: Have the butcher use chuck ground to a “chili grind” (larger pieces than ground round) or use ½ ground beef and the other half stew meat cut into small pieces (for browning)

Vegetables:

1 large onion (diced)

3-4 celery stalks (diced)

1 green bell pepper (diced)

6-7 cloves of garlic (minced)

2 serano chilies with seeds (diced)

Seasonings:

3 Tbsp chili powder

½ Tbsp cumin

½ Tbsp dry oregano

1 Tbsp paprika

2 tsp cayenne

1 tsp salt

a little ground pepper.

Liquid:

1 6-ounce can of tomato paste

1 28-ounce can of chopped (diced) tomatoes.

1 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes.

2 15-ounce cans of tomato sauce

1 can of beef broth (or a bottle of cheap beer)

A tiny piece (1 ounce?) of dark chocolate (my little improvisation and very important)

Set

Large Dutch Oven or Stew Pot

Go!

Brown the chili grind meat in a little canola oil in small batches so you get that good browning at the bottom of a Dutch oven. If you’re doing the 50/50 method, cook the ground beef first, then brown the cubed meat in small batches.

Remove the meat. Add a little more oil and sauté the veggies over med-hi heat for 5 minutes.

Add the seasonings. Stir for a couple of minutes.

Add liquid. Start with the paste first to incorporate. Then add the rest. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook with lid on for 1 hour. Then remove lid and simmer uncovered for another two hours.

Recommendations

If it’s too thick just add water. If it’s too thin, some cooks add a little masa flour, but that’s illegal in a true Texas cookoff. Before serving, my Dad likes to finish it with a couple of squeezed of lime juice and a splash of some really good tequila.

chili chili con carne

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