Texas Chuckwagon Beef Chili Recipe

An Authentic Meaty Texas Chili Made with Chunks of Chuck Steak

© Norman Kolpas

Sep 21, 2008

Chuckwagon cooks were, and still are, great practitioners of the art of making do with very little.

Out on the range, there was no great wealth of fresh ingredients. You used dried ingredients and other foods that stored well to supplement the fresh beef that was readily at hand.

Here's a fine example of the kind of straightforward, no-nonsense, moderate-to-hot chili that might result from that kind of approach.

Texas Chuckwagon Chili

Serves 8 to 12

Ingredients:

• 12 dried Anaheim chilies, split, stemmed, and seeded
• 4 dried serrano or pequin chilies, stemmed and seeded
• 2 cups water
• 1/4 pound chopped suet or lard
• 6 medium-sized garlic cloves, minced
• 4 medium-sized onions, finely chopped
• 4 pounds beef chuck steak, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 1 1/2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1/2 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 bay leaves

Cooking Method:

1. In a medium-sized saucepan, put the Anaheim and serrano or pequin chilies and the water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes. With a wire skimmer or slotted spoon, remove the chilies to a bowl; reserve the water.
2. With a large, sharp knife, finely chop the chilies.
3. In a large pot, melt the suet or lard over medium heat. Add the garlic and onions and sauté, stirring frequently, until they turn translucent, 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Add the steak cubes and sauté, stirring occasionally, until they lose all their pink color, 7 to 10 minutes.
5. Add the reserved chopped chilies, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, and bay leaves. Stir to mix them in well and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
6. Stir in half of the reserved chili water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a bare simmer, cover the pot, and cook gently until the beef is very tender, about 1 1/2 hours, adding a little of the remaining chili water only as necessary to keep the meat slightly moist. Discard the bay leaves before serving.

Tips and Variations

• Be sure to trim the chuck steak well before you cut it into cubes, removing all visible traces of fat or gristle.
• If you'd like your chili a tad spicier, throw in one or more minced fresh jalapeño chili peppers or canned chipotle chilies (smoked jalapeños) in adobo sauce.
• For a more lavish spread, set out bowls filled with chopped onion, chopped tomatoes, chopped cilantro, sour cream, and shredded Cheddar cheese for guests to top their individual bowls to taste.
• Also set out a bottle of your favorite hot sauce for folks who might want a spicier bowlful.

The chili is delicious serve over steamed rice or with boiled beans, with thick garlic toast or cornbread on the side.

(For other great chili recipes, check out Sirloin Steak-Lover's Chili, Chicken Breast White Bean Chili, or Hearty Ground Turkey Chili.)

An authentic Old West chuckwagon.

Print Article

View All Articles

How to subscribe to feeds