Dinner: Texas-Style Chili with Brisket

Recipe by Hunter Lewis Texas chili is purely beef-driven: no beans allowed. This version boasts smoky, complex, deep flavor from a mix of dried chiles and chili powders.

Ingredients

3 pounds flat-cut beef brisket, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 pound beef stew meat
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
5 teaspoons canola oil, divided
4 cups chopped yellow onion
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 1/2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon ancho chile powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 dried bay leaves
1 dried ancho chile, seeded
1 (6-ounce) can unsalted tomato paste
4 1/2 cups water, divided
1 (12-ounce) lager beer (such as Shiner)
5 tablespoons masa harina
2 teaspoons hot sauce (such as Tabasco)
1/2 cup chopped green onions

Instructions

Sprinkle beef with 1 teaspoon pepper and 1 teaspoon salt. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add one-quarter of beef to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until well browned on all sides. Remove beef from pan. Repeat procedure 3 times with 3 teaspoons oil and remaining beef.
Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion and next 8 ingredients (through dried chile); sauté 3 minutes. Stir in remaining 1 teaspoon black pepper, remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt, and tomato paste; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in 4 cups water and beer; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook 2 hours or until beef is very tender. Combine remaining 1/2 cup water and masa in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Add masa mixture and hot sauce to pan; cook 3 minutes or until slightly thickened. Discard dried ancho chile and bay leaves. Sprinkle with green onions.

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