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1
Remove stems, membrane and seeds from chili pods, cover with water and simmer for 30 minutes.
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2
Remove pods and blend into paste.
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3
Reserve the chili water.
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4
Chop onions.
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5
Crack cumin with rolling pin or grind with mortar and pestle.
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6
Brew 1 teaspoon oregano leaves in 1 cup of water.
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7
Brown meat in several batches, add black pepper while browning.
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8
Brown onions with meat then remove with slotted spoon and reserve.
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9
Combine browned meat and onion with the following: cumin, 8 heaping tablespoons of commercial chili powder, 3 cloves garlic (pressed) and MSG.
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10
Cook ten minutes, using just enough pepper water to keep from burning.
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11
Stir constantly.
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12
This cooks the spices into the meat.
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13
Add chili paste and half of oregano water.
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14
Cook slowly, adding pepper water as necessary to prevent scorching.
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15
Add additional oregano to taste, salt to taste.
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16
The meat should be tender in around 1-1/2 hours.
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17
Cooking Variations:
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18
Add 1 to 2 cans 8 ounce cans of tomato sauce.
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19
Hand cut meat to about the size of a navy bean.
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20
(A lot of contestants now use half chili grind and half hand cut).
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21
Add 2 tablespoons of vinegar 10 minutes before serving.
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22
Use white pepper instead of black pepper.
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23
Use masa/corn flour (not cornstarch) to thicken (mix flour with cold water and whisk until smooth, then pour into hot chili while stirring constantly until thickened).
