Texas Chilly in August

Okay, I just spelled "Chili" incorrectly to make the reader question the reasoning of chilly weather in Texas, or the continental United States, in August. Last week, we had a high of 79 degrees in Spicewood, which is indeed rare, but not necessarily chilly.

Usually, I save cooking chili for the fall months, with September being the earliest, but at the insistence of my daughter Kristin, I made some today. It may be the best ever, using many "secrets" and special spices to make it the best. Some of those secrets are lots of cumin, saffron, fresh tomatoes, chocolate and crushed pineapple, but because we are trying to adhere to a Whole 30 diet, there's no use of sugar in any way, no cured bacon (an awesome addition to chili), no preservatives, and no cheese.

A good friend, Petra, gave my family some ground venison earlier in the year, and I had that to add. Plus, when I traveled to Budapest, Hungary with my daughter, Rachel, this summer, I purchased a nice-sized portion of saffron and paprika (sweet) to include. The last addition, which I added when I felt that it needed some fresh veggies, were some fresh and tasty Campari tomatoes that I purchased on sale at HEB this week. For an excellent chili with plenty of love poured in, no measuring, many adjustments and time to cook on the stove, here's the recipe:

Chilly August Chili
1 smallish sweet onion - chopped  
2 garlic cloves
1 pound ground venison
1 pound lean ground beef
Olive oil

Saute onion in about 1 Tb of olive oil until almost translucent, then add chopped or pressed garlic, stir until the garlic turns slightly tan in color. Slide out onto a large plate and add another Tb of olive oil and the venison to the skillet. Cook and chop into small chunks with a flat edged spoon. After the meat is cooked, drain off the juices for less venison taste (the liquid can be replaced), and slide on the plate with the onions. If the beef is very lean, add another Tb of oil and then add it. Repeat cooking steps. Pour the meat and onions into a chili pot. At this time, you can add all the spices listed below and mix into the meat to make sure that the meat is flavored first, especially the venison. Your style will determine your process. Next,

1 28 oz. can of petite chopped tomatoes
1 14 oz. can of chopped tomatoes and green chilis
1 lb. container of fresh tomatoes (Campari preferred)

Pour in all of the can of green chili tomatoes, and about half of the can of plain tomatoes directly into the meat and onions in the chili pot.  Use a Cuisinart Smart Stick to blend half of the can, in the can, into more of a sauce than chunks, and to add some thickness to the chili, since corn (masa harina = corn flour) and grains (wheat flour) are not allowed on Whole 30. To prepare the fresh tomatoes for the chili, it's best to peel first. Today, I forgot to prepare the boiling water on the stove to dunk them into for 60-90 seconds, wait for their skin to wrinkle, then pull out with a fork, peel, cut into quarters, remove the seeds, and use the blender stick to make more saucy.  I rushed the process by using the microwave to bring the water to a boil in a large glass measuring cup, threw in the tomatoes a couple at a time, pulled them out and peeled and chopped them. I did make an error when I reached in to pull out a tomato, forgetting that it had been boiling a few minutes before. Ouch. Blend the tomatoes as noted above and add to pot. Once the tomatoes have been added, it's time to include spices, if that's your process.

8-16 oz. organic chicken broth
1-2 Tbs saffron
1-2 Tbs paprika
1 1/2 Tbs. cocoa powder
1-2 Tbs garlic powder (if you don't have fresh garlic)
1-2 Tbs chili powder
1-2 Tbs cumin
1/2 tsp oregano
1-2 Tbs cracked pepper
1 Tbs. kosher salt

Mix in all of the above ingredients and heat to medium high temperature until it becomes nice and bubbly, then reduce to low, low and slow cook for 1-3 hours, stirring every 15 minutes or so. The longer it cooks on low, the more tender the meat will be. Taste on occasion to determine if it needs salt, pepper, chili powder or anything else you feel it is missing. I love Texas Chilly in August!


This recipe can also be prepared by browning your meat and onions, and throwing it all in a crock pot on low in the morning, to come home to terrific chili in the evening.