Old Mexico Chili

This is dump-and-go chili at its most honest. Cubed stewing beef, tomato sauce, tomato paste, stewed tomatoes, chili powder, salt, and hot sauce all go into the slow cooker at once. Cover it, walk away, and come back 8 to 10 hours later to a pot of thick, deeply flavored chili that’s been breaking down all day.

No beans. No onions. No garlic. That’s intentional. This is old-school Texas red chili where the beef and the chili powder are the whole show. The long, slow cook transforms tough stewing beef into chunks that fall apart at the touch of a fork, and the triple tomato base (sauce, paste, and stewed) reduces into a concentrated, brick-red gravy that coats every piece.

Tomato paste is doing the real work here. It thickens the chili naturally over those long hours and adds a roasted, almost caramelized sweetness you don’t get from sauce or canned tomatoes alone.

Chef Tips

• Use stewing beef cut into small, uniform cubes. Bigger chunks won’t break down as well during the cook, leaving you with tough pieces instead of tender, shreddable meat.
• Start with two tablespoons of chili powder and taste after cooking. You can always stir in more at the end, but you can’t take it out.
• Keep the lid on for the full cook. Every time you lift it, heat escapes and adds 20 to 30 minutes to the cooking time.

Variations

• Add a can of drained pinto or kidney beans in the last hour of cooking if you want a heartier, bean-loaded version.
• Stir in a tablespoon of cumin and a teaspoon of smoked paprika for a more complex spice profile.
• Top with shredded cheddar, sour cream, and diced raw onion for a loaded bowl.