Fritos Plus Homemade Chili = Texas Style Perfection
by Chef Evan | June 5, 2009 - 1:37pm | 0 comments - 30 readsIngredients: 2 of your favorite dark beers 2 Tbsp. butter 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 large onion, chopped 4 jalapenos, deseeded if you're a wimp, and chopped 0.5 lb. ground beef with an 80-20 lean to fat ratio 0.5 lb. ground pork 1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes 1 15 oz. can pinto beans 1 Tbsp. each ground cumin, paprika, chile powder*, and dried Mexican oregano Salt and pepper Fritos Directions: Begin by opening one of the beers and starting to drink it. Melt the butter in a large stock pot or cast iron Dutch oven over medium heat. Whisk the flour into the melted butter to form what the French call a roux. This is the secret to thickening gravies and Cajun gumbos, but that's another recipe. Cook the roux over medium heat for two minutes until it turns a slightly darker blonde color. Add the onion, garlic, and jalapeno, season with salt and pepper, and cook until softened, about five minutes stirring occasionally. Add the meat, season with salt and pepper, and cook until browned, about five more minutes, still stirring. Add the tomatoes, beans, spices and the other beer. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer on low heat for an hour. Taste and season to your liking. To serve, pour over Fritos and top with cheese, sour cream, guac, or any other topping you like. *Chile powder with an 'e' is crushed dried chiles like jalapenos. Chili powder with an 'i' is a pre-mixed combination of spices with other fillers. Get chile powder with an 'e.' As I said, this recipe is easily adaptable. Substitute meat for more beans or beans for more meat. Substitute different types of sausages for meat, a Mexican chorizo works very well. Add different spices like coriander, cinnamon, turmeric, or curry powder. Add different chiles like poblanos, anahiems, serranos, or if you're feeling particularly adventurous, habaneros. You can also omit the flour in the beginning and add masa harina (Mexican corn flour) at the end to achieve a similar thickness with a little more authenticity.
