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1
Break off the stems of the chiles, and remove the seeds.
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2
Place chiles in a small saucepan and cover them with water.
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3
Simmer for 30 minutes.
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4
Puree the chiles in a blender with a tiny bit of cooking liquid to make a smooth, thin paste.
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5
Use as little liquid as possible, unless you want the chili to be soupy.
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6
Pour the chile puree into a Dutch oven or large, heavy pan.
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7
In a heavy skillet, sear the meat in two batches with the beef suet until the meat is gray.
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8
Transfer each batch to the chile puree, then pour in enough of the chile cooking liquid to cover the meat by about 2 inches.
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9
Bring the chili to a boil; reduce heat to a simmer.
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10
Cook for 30 minutes.
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11
Remove the chili from the heat, and stir in the rest of the ingredients.
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12
Return chili to the heat, cover and resume simmering for 45 minutes, keeping the lid on except to stir just occasionally.
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13
(Too much stirring tears up the meat) Add more chile liquid only if you think the mixture will burn otherwise.
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14
After 45 minutes, you may add the masa harina, if you wish.
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15
The masa adds a subtle, tamale-like taste, but it also thickens the chili.
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16
Cover the chili again and simmer for another 30 minutes.
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17
Do a lot of tasting to see if seasoning suits you.
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18
Add more seasonings as you like, but go easy on the oregano to avoid ending up with a spaghetti sauce flavor.
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19
Take the chili off the heat, and refrigerator overnight.
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20
Skim as much fat as you wish from the chili before reheating it.
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21
Serve hot.
