Casi-Style Chili

This is chili the way Texas does it: no beans, no apologies. Chunky cubes of beef chuck get browned in suet, then slow-simmered for two hours in a rich bath of beer, tomato sauce, and beef stock until they practically fall apart.

Four jalapeños and a heavy hand of chili powder and cumin build serious heat, while a slurry of masa flour pulls the sauce together into that thick, velvety body that coats the back of a spoon.

This is CASI competition-style chili, born from cookoff culture where the meat is the star and everything else exists to make it shine.

Pro Tips

• Cut the beef into uniform 1½-inch cubes so they braise evenly. Smaller pieces will dry out before the big ones get tender.
• Brown the meat in batches. Crowding the pot steams instead of sears, and you want that dark crust for flavor.
• Stir the masa paste in quickly and all at once. Going slow creates lumps that are tough to break up.
• The jalapeños simmer whole and get pulled out at the end, so they infuse heat without leaving seeds behind.
• If you can find veal stock, use it. It adds a silky body that beef stock alone can’t match.