Latigo Chili

Latigo chili is not Tuesday night chili. This is a slow-simmered, three-meat, two-hour cowboy pot built for a cattle drive or a Super Bowl crowd. Five pounds of chopped brisket, five pounds of coarse-ground venison, and two pounds of lean ground pork brown together in hot peanut oil in a cast iron pot with onions, garlic, and ancho chiles.

The liquids are where Latigo earns its swagger. A full 24 ounces of beer and three ounces of tequila deglaze the pot and bring depth beyond plain stock. Stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce, eight chopped green chiles, and three tablespoons of cayenne flakes go in for heat and body. The cumin gets staged across the cook: three tablespoons early, one in the middle, and the last tablespoon at the end. That last-minute cumin addition is the Texas chili-head trick. It keeps the aromatic top notes alive instead of cooking them out.

Tomato paste, a splash of honey, and a hit of Tabasco fold in halfway. Cider vinegar sharpens the whole thing. Simmer two hours, then crank the heat for a final ten-minute tightening.

Chef Tips

• Brown the meats in batches if needed. Overcrowding steams the meat instead of searing and loses the fond that flavors the broth.
• Stage the cumin exactly as directed. Front-loaded cumin goes muddy; reserving some for the end keeps the aroma sharp.
• Use a real cast iron or enameled Dutch oven. The heavy bottom distributes heat evenly over a two-hour simmer without scorching.
• Make it the day before. Like most chilis, Latigo is better after a night in the fridge; the flavors meld and the fat can be skimmed off cold.

Variations

• All-beef version: Replace the venison with more ground beef or chuck if game isn’t handy.
• Chipotle smoke: Stir in a minced chipotle in adobo for deeper smoke.
• Bean it: Strictly speaking a Texas chili skips beans, but folding in a can of drained pinto beans for the last 30 minutes is an easy softener if cooking for non-purists.