Texas Chili Con Carne, No Tomato

This is chili the way they made it before somebody decided to throw a can of tomatoes in there.

Dried ancho chiles bring smoky depth while tiny pequin peppers bring the fire. You soak them, puree them with cumin, garlic, oregano, and paprika, and pour that deep red sauce over browned beef cubes already simmering in their own chile-soaked broth.

No tomatoes. No beans. Nothing to hide behind. Just beef and chiles doing what they were born to do.

Ninety minutes of simmering turns those tough little cubes into fork-tender bites swimming in a thick, rust-colored sauce that coats the back of your throat with warmth.

Kitchen Tips

• Soak the dried chiles for the full 30 minutes. Don’t rush this step. Under-soaked chiles won’t puree smooth and you’ll end up with a gritty sauce.
• Save every drop of the soaking liquid. That water is now liquid gold, packed with smoky chile flavor. It becomes the base of your entire broth.
• Cut the beef into true half-inch cubes. Bigger chunks won’t break down enough. Smaller ones will turn to mush. Half-inch is the sweet spot for tender bites that hold their shape.
• Adjust heat with the pequin peppers. These little guys are sneaky hot. Start with fewer if you’re not sure about your tolerance and add more puree later if you want more kick.