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| Old Buffalo Breath Chili |
1 (5 pound) chuck roast, at least 3 inches thick
10 to 11 garlic cloves, crushed
Salt, to taste
Chili powder
1/4 cup olive oil
About 1 to 2 cups beef broth
Juice of 1 Mexican lime
2 teaspoons ground dried mild red chile, such as ancho or New
Mexican
2 teaspoons ground dried hot red chile, such as cayenne or
chile de arbol
1 tablespoon cumin seed, toasted and ground
2 teaspoons Mexican oregano
Chiles pequíns, to taste
Masa Harina, as needed
Two or three hours before you plan to begin making the chili,
rub the chuck
roast well with a mash made from two to three of the garlic cloves
and salt.
Sprinkle the meat with the chili powder to lightly coat it. Loosely
cover it
with plastic, and set it aside.
Light enough hardwood charcoal to sear the meat on an outdoor grill,
preferably
one with a cover. At the same time, soak a few handfuls of
mesquite chips in
water. When the coals are covered with gray ash, spread
them out evenly, and
scatter the damp mesquite chips on top. Then
immediately set the meat over the
smoke, about an inch from the coals.
Cover the grill, and adjust the dampers to
maintain a slow, steady heat. Let
the meat sear for about 12 minutes (this
process is meant to flavor, not
cook, the meat), and turn it over to sear the
other side for the same amount
of time. Remove the meat from the heat, saving
any juices on its surface,
and transfer it to the refrigerator. Let it cool
thoroughly, about 1 hour.
When the meat has cooled, trim away any surface fat or cartilage. With a
sharp
knife, cube the meat into the smallest pieces you have patience for,
saving all
the juices.
Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy Dutch oven over moderate heat. Mix in
the
remaining garlic, and sauté it until it turns translucent. Stir in the meat
and
all reserved meat juices, adding just enough beef broth to cover. Pour
in the
lime juice, and sprinkle in the remaining seasonings, stirring and
tasting as
you do. Crumble in a few whole chiles pequíns to bring the heat
up to taste.
Turn the heat down as low as possible. Long cooking
toughens, not tenderizes, if
the chili is allowed to boil. Every half hour or so,
stir the chili and taste
for seasoning, adjusting as you wish. After the first
hour, thicken the chili as
you like by adding the Masa Harina a teaspoon at
a time. The chili should be
ready to eat in 3 hours, although it will benefit
from a night's aging in the
refrigerator.
Serve the chili steaming hot in large, heavy bowls with an ample supply of
soda
crackers and a side of beans, but not much else except maybe hot
black coffee,
iced tea or beer. |
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