HOUSTON – Happy National Chili Day!
Plus, it’s almost rodeo time in the great Lone Star State.
Celebrate both occasions with Houston’s oldest family-owned Tex-Mex restaurant - Molina’s Cantina.
They have been feeding the Valley Lodge Trail Riders for over forty years.
Now, co-owner of Molina’s Cantina Ricardo Molina shares his family’s chili con carne recipe, which has been a cowboy staple on the restaurant’s menu since 1941.
Scroll down for the complete recipe to create your version of the old-fashioned chili con carne.
Old-Fashioned Chili Con Carne
- 8-10 dried ancho chiles, stemmed, seeded, and deveined
- 3 pounds 80/20 beef chuck, coarsely ground (request chili grind)
- 2 cloves fresh garlic (1 oz.), minced
- 1 teaspoon cumin, freshly ground
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican
- 2 teaspoons black pepper, freshly ground
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 cup cracker meal
- 3 cups water
DIRECTIONS:
1. In a heat-proof bowl, soak dried chiles in enough hot water to cover until soft, 30 minutes. Tip: To ensure chiles stay submerged, cover with a heat-proof plate.
2. Blend chiles in a food processor with enough soaking liquid to form a coarse puree.
3. In a large pot or Dutch oven, brown meat over medium-high heat until cooked through, 10-15 minutes.
4. Add chili paste, garlic, and spices to the pot, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding a little water if it begins to stick.
5. Add a cracker meal and mix well. Slowly add water to achieve the desired consistency, simmering to allow flavors to combine and the body of stew to thicken.
6. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
7. Portion into bowls and serve with shredded cheese, chopped onions, and saltine crackers, or ladle over enchiladas and tamales. Or, as was once popular on the Molina’s Cantina menu, it’s good over spaghetti, too!
Click here to visit Molina’s Cantina website for more information.