A Dirt Simple, Plain, But Tried And True Texas Chili Recipe

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   (Taught me by an old friend Ed from Texas, as much a Texas boy as there ever was)

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   In keeping with all good recipes, measurements are pretty on the fly here.

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   Cube the beef into bite-sized chunks.

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   Dice the bacon.

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   Heat a large heavy pot, fry the bacon till almost crisp.

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   Scoop it out and set aside (so it will not get burnt).

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   Then fry the meat in the bacon fat till browned on all sides - you may have to do this in batches.

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   Scoop out the meat and add in to the bacon.

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   Saute/fry the onions (and garlic if you're using it) in the bacon.

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    (Those who really get concerned can drain off some of the fat, but it will not be true Texan at which point.)

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    When it's soft, throw in the cumin, chile pwdr, and paprika and cook briefly.

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    Return the meat, cover with water and bring it to a boil.

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    Taste and add in salt, then cover and set it to simmer for a couple of hrs.

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    Thicken as needed with cornmeal or possibly stale tortillas.

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    Serve with lowfat sour cream or possibly cottage cheese, diced onions and, of course, beer.

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    Like all good chilis this is best made a day in advance and reheated.

* Per serving · 4 servings · Values may vary.

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