Preparation:
Melt the lard in a large, heavy pot. Add the beef and sausage, and cook
until about half done. Add the onions and garlic, and cook until the
onions are transparent, and the meat is nicely browned. Add the dry spices,
and cook, stirring, until they develop a fragrance.
IMPORTANT -- do not drain off the fat at this point. We'll get rid of it
later, but it is a flavor carrier, and needed for a while.
Add the tomato paste, beef bouillon cubes, and beer, and enough water to
barely cover the mixture. Cover, and simmer on lowest possible heat, until
the meat is tender (2-3 hours). Stir frequently, and add additional water
or beer as needed to keep the mixture from burning.
At this point, and in an ideal world, you would refrigerate the chili
overnight to develop flavors and let the excess fat rise to the top. If you
absolutely can't wait, skim off as much fat as possible from the surface of
the mixture. If you have developed the virtue of patience, lift the fat
off the mixture and return the pot to the fire, bringing it up to a slow
simmer before continuing.
Mix the masa or cornmeal with an equal quantity of water, and add to the
mixture. Stir, and simmer another half hour or so, stirring frequently,
and adding additional liquid if the mixture seems too thick.
Adjust the seasonings, adding salt (for my taste it shouldn't need much)
and white pepper (which doesn't contain capsicum, but will give the chili a
bit of a "bite") to taste.
If you absolutely must have beans in your chili, please, please, cook them
separately, according to your favorite recipe, and spoon them into the
bowl, then spoon the chili on top of 'em and mix. (You could even do this
with heated canned beans, just don't tell me about it ;-)
If you decide to try this, let me know how it turns out. My head says it
should be pretty good, if |
