Texas Style No Bean Chilli

Texas-style no bean chilli has to be my favorite. To my readers in Asia, chilli in the States refers to the beef concoction cooked with a little tomatoes and plenty of spices. It goes extremely well with hotdogs and nacho chips like chili dogs, chilli cheeseburger, nachos that you will get at Chilli's or Fridays and the likes. My favorite way of serving chilli is staright up in a bowl, with chopped onion, scallion, shredded cheese, a dallop of sour cream and cornbread muffins on the side.

Chilli differs in every region, from the more popular chilli with beans to the Texas man-style chilli, all beef and no fillers. I am not a big fan of beans so the all beef version works extremely well for me.

The bonus point is the ease of preparation involved. All there is to do is cut the beef in cubes or long strips, diced the onion and garlic, mix up a bunch of spices, open a can of tomato, let it simmer for 2 hours and it is ready. It is so easy yet so good. Perfect in the winter or during rainy season. The recipe that I used is adapted from the 1984 Texas State Men's Chilli Cookoff's winner recipe. I like the robust flavor of the spices blend of the original recipe but adjusted the cumin to chilli powder ratio as my family loves cumin. Also, I find the addition of brown sugar in the stew gives it the right balance of salt, spicyness and a hint of sweetness.

Texas Style No-beans Chilli
(Adapted from 1984 Texas State Men's Chilli Cookoff Winner)
Ingredients
3lb beef, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 8oz can tomato sauce about 2 cups

1st Stage Seasoning
2 tsp beef bouillion
1 tsp chicken bouillion
2 Tbsp Paprika
1 Tbsp onion powder

2nd Stage Seasoning
6 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
6 Tbsp chilli powder
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 fresh chilli pepper, split

Garnish
1 scallion, chopped
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 onion, chopped fine
1 cup sour cream


Directions

Step 1: Heat 3 Tbsp oil in a pot. Sear beef till brown. Add in garlic and onion. Saute for a few minutes till onion is softened.

Step 2: Add in 1st Stage seasoning, tomato sauce and enough water to cover the beef. Bring to a boil. Lower heat down to a simmer. Cover and let cook for 1 1/2 hour.

Step 3: Add in 2nd Stage seasoning. Cook for another 1/2 hour.

Step 4: Serve with scallion, chopped onion, shredded cheese and a dallop of sour cream with some cornbread on the side

Variation: Serve chilli on top of hotdogs or hamburger.