This is my dad’s Texas chili recipe. My variations are in parentheses, and his very strict rules are in quotes (this is a also a glimpse into the way my dad writes emails). This is chili we’re talking about — rules matter. This recipe is very true to the style, and while you can fancy it up with better beef and secret ingredients like coffee and chocolate and peanut butter, the more you do that, the further you will get from the rural, working class, limited-ingredients-by-necessity roots of the Texas version of this classic dish—in other words, try it once by the book before you start riffing, gentle readers.

Ingredients:

3 pounds lean beef, “coarse ground or chili ground is best but ground meat will work” (I sometimes use ground turkey, too.)

1 large onion, chopped

Up to three cloves of garlic “or you can use the kind already chopped and add to taste. Needs plenty.”

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin

4 tablespoons chili powder (I sometimes use smoked chili powder for a slightly different flavor.)

2 teaspoons ground cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon sugar

3 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons paprika

1 8-oz can tomato sauce “not tomato paste”

Masa Harina flour if thickening is required (or corn starch)

Cooking oil (dealer’s choice)

(I almost always add roughly a tsp of fish sauce for an umami boost, and if it starts to veer toward too rich/heavy, I’ll add some red wine vinegar to balance it out)

Directions:

“If you are making it in a cast iron pot which is best, sear the meat with just enough oil to sear it all to a light grey color. Of course stir while searing. You can also do it in a large skillet and then finish in a crock pot and let cook all day.”

After searing the meat, “In whatever pot cover the meat with just enough water to cover.” Add the rest of the ingredients and stir. “If cooking in a pot, simmer for at least 2 1/2 hours. Crock pot cooking can be several hours on low. Skim the grease and taste to see if done. Masa Harina flour can be added if to thicken and cook a little longer. If you started with just enough water to just cover the meat you should not need to thicken the chili.”

“Remember that true Texas Chili never ever under any circumstances is cooked with beans. Use them for a side dish if you want and they must be pintos. Do not mix them.”

(I highly recommend topping with something pickled, such as onions or jalapeños, to balance out all the umami—or see the bit above about the red wine vinegar.)

(To eat it like you got it from a concession stand at a Texas high school football game, a la Friday Night Lights, serve it over Fritos and top with shredded cheddar [fancy] or Whiz [tasty], chopped onions, and pickled jalapenos and enjoy the deliciousness known as Frito Pie.)

Enjoy.