My Very Un-Tex-Mex Tex-Mex Chili

Just to be clear: it's my Tex-Mex chili! And by that I mean: it's Tex-Mex chili... but done my way.

No, seriously — just like I sometimes post "Italian" recipes that aren't actually Italian recipes but are inspired by them, this version of Tex-Mex chili isn't really Tex-Mex either, and strictly speaking, it's maybe not even chili.

But it's tasty, and above all, practical! So what do I mean by that?

Every time I'm back in Sicily after a stretch in Amsterdam (you know, I split my time between Sicily and Amsterdam), I head straight to the butcher. What I actually want is beef bones to make stock with, but out of common decency I feel like I have to buy meat too. Because apparently the butcher in Bagheria (near Palermo) doesn't dare charge for beef bones — he just gives them away. But I obviously can't only ask for the bones. So out of sheer embarrassment I always end up buying meat as well. And I usually end up buying way more than I can get through. I live alone, and I don't really eat that much meat. But I don't want to risk buying too little either, because I genuinely only go to that butcher when I want beef bones. And that's not very often.

"...the butcher in Bagheria (near Palermo) doesn't dare charge for beef bones — he just gives them away."

So that meat usually goes in the freezer, and it lasts me pretty much the whole time I'm in Sicily. Same with the beef stock.

Anyway, I usually buy a kilo of sausages. And maybe something else, like half a chicken. (The chicken here is fantastic, by the way — it still tastes the way it did when I was a kid, you just can't find that anywhere in Amsterdam anymore!) Why sausages? I can just fry those up and eat them as-is, but I can also take the meat out of the casings and use it as a stand-in for ground meat. And that's exactly what I do. Because if I ask the butcher here in Bagheria for "ground meat," he hands me ground steak, and that's way too pricey for my taste.

Except...

That sausage meat is pork, and it's seasoned. Which is why I call it "my" Tex-Mex chili — because the original dish is made with plain, unseasoned beef.

And...

I also throw in a bit more beans and a bit less meat, so my sausages stretch further. Because I make a big batch — big for just me, anyway — I freeze it in portions, as much as will fit in the little freezer compartment of my mini fridge. Whatever doesn't fit in the freezer goes in the fridge until it's gone, and I eat from that every other day. I find it pretty convenient, honestly — all I have to do is heat it up and dress it up a bit with avocado, tomato, tortilla chips, shredded cheese, and maybe sour cream. Whether the sour cream makes the cut depends on what the scale told me that morning. 😝

TEX-MEX-STYLE CHILI CON CARNE

with beef bone broth, alla Diana

Ingredients — makes 4 large portions or 8 small ones

400 grams (about 14 oz) ground meat (in my case, the meat from the pork sausages)
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, pressed
1 large or 2 smaller red bell peppers, diced
1 carrot, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 can kidney beans (250 g / ~9 oz), drained and rinsed
1 can pinto beans (250 g / ~9 oz), drained and rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes (400 g / 14 oz)
250 ml (1 cup) beef bone broth
1.5 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp chili powder (or more to taste)
1/2 tsp oregano
3 small squares of dark chocolate
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

1

Cook the onion. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat (I use a cast-iron pot myself). Sauté the chopped onion until soft and translucent.

2

Garlic and meat. Add the garlic and cook briefly, about 30 seconds. Then add the ground meat and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned and crumbly.

3

Peppers, carrot, celery and spices. Add the bell pepper, carrot and celery and cook for 2–3 minutes. Stir in the cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, and oregano, and cook for 1 minute to let the spices bring out their flavor.

4

Deglaze with broth. Pour in the beef bone broth. Stir well, scraping the bottom of the pot to loosen any browned bits — that's where a lot of the flavor is.

5

Add tomatoes and beans. Add the diced tomatoes and beans, and mix everything together well.

6

Let it simmer. Let the chili simmer gently over low heat for at least 30–40 minutes. Leave the lid slightly ajar on the pot so excess moisture can escape. Stir occasionally so nothing sticks.

7

Season to taste. Stir in the chocolate, then season with salt and pepper to taste.

I personally let mine simmer for about an hour. It's usually even better the next day, once the flavors have had more time to develop!

I serve it with tortilla chips and shredded cheese (plus tomato and avocado, as mentioned above), but lately I've been cutting the portions in half and eating it with a side salad instead. I know, that's definitely not very Tex-Mex, but I need to drop a little weight.

Got your own chili recipe?  

Photo: Brooke Lark