Reno Red Chili

Ingredients

• 5 lbs coarsely ground heavy beef chuck or ground round or ground beef brisket (ask the butcher for "chili grind")
• 1/4 cup Wesson Oil or rendered kidney suet
• 2 medium onions
• 5 teaspoons cumin seeds
• 8 tablespoons commercial chili powder (Make sure you get chili powder, not a chili mix or ground chili pepper!)
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons msg (optional)
• 5-15 chili pods, depending on heat level desired (if pods are not available, use cayenne pepper to taste)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

Directions

1. 1

   Remove stems, membrane and seeds from chili pods, cover with water and simmer for 30 minutes.

2. 2

   Remove pods and blend into paste.

3. 3

   Reserve the chili water.

4. 4

   Chop onions.

5. 5

   Crack cumin with rolling pin or grind with mortar and pestle.

6. 6

   Brew 1 teaspoon oregano leaves in 1 cup of water.

7. 7

   Brown meat in several batches, add black pepper while browning.

8. 8

   Brown onions with meat then remove with slotted spoon and reserve.

9. 9

   Combine browned meat and onion with the following: cumin, 8 heaping tablespoons of commercial chili powder, 3 cloves garlic (pressed) and MSG.

10. 10

    Cook ten minutes, using just enough pepper water to keep from burning.

11. 11

    Stir constantly.

12. 12

    This cooks the spices into the meat.

13. 13

    Add chili paste and half of oregano water.

14. 14

    Cook slowly, adding pepper water as necessary to prevent scorching.

15. 15

    Add additional oregano to taste, salt to taste.

16. 16

    The meat should be tender in around 1-1/2 hours.

17. 17

    Cooking Variations:.

18. 18

    Add 1 to 2 cans 8 ounce cans of tomato sauce.

19. 19

    Hand cut meat to about the size of a navy bean.

20. 20

    (A lot of contestants now use half chili grind and half hand cut).

21. 21

    Add 2 tablespoons of vinegar 10 minutes before serving.

22. 22

    Use white pepper instead of black pepper.

23. 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).