Santa Fe Red
Submitted by dundeegal
Santa Fe red pork chili with coarsely ground pork shoulder, beer, stewed tomatoes, and layers of cumin and chili powder. No beans, no shortcuts. A thick, meaty Tex-Mex red chili simmered low and slow.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
1 hrsREADY
2 hrsThis is a no-bean, meat-forward red chili in the Texas tradition, built on coarsely ground pork shoulder browned in bacon grease. That combination alone tells you this pot means business.
The liquid base is a mix of beer, chicken broth, stewed tomatoes, and a full cup of tomato paste, which gives the chili its thick, brick-red body. Eight tablespoons of chili powder and three tablespoons of cumin are not typos. This is a heavily spiced pot, and the long simmer mellows everything into a deep, complex warmth.
The cumin gets split: two tablespoons go in during cooking and the last tablespoon gets stirred in five minutes before serving. That final hit of cumin adds a brighter, more aromatic punch that would get lost if it simmered the whole time. It’s a small detail that separates a good chili from a great one.
Mexican oregano and a touch of allspice round out the spice profile with floral and warm notes you won’t find in most chili recipes.
Chef Tips
- Use a cast iron pot if you have one; it holds heat evenly during the long simmer and helps the pork brown better
- Stir frequently during the simmer to prevent the thick base from scorching on the bottom
- If the chili gets too thick, thin with water half a cup at a time; if too thin, stir in masa harina a quarter cup at a time to thicken
- This tastes even better reheated the next day after the spices have fully bloomed
Variations
- Use coarsely ground beef or a beef-pork blend instead of all pork
- Add diced roasted green chiles for a Santa Fe green-and-red crossover
- Serve topped with shredded cheddar, sour cream, and diced white onion
Ingredients
Directions
Pour beer, chicken broth, stewed tomatoes, and tomato paste into a large mixing bowl.
Mix throughly and set aside.
Into a large cast iron pot melt 2 tablespoons bacon grease.
Sauté the meat with the onions and ½ of the garlic.
When the meat is fairly well done, pour mixture in the bowl, into the pot and stir well.
Add the rest of the garlic, 2 tablespoons of cumin, the pepper flakes, salt, and the oregano as it cooks.
Bring to a medium boil for 5 to 8 minutes, then reduce heat to Simmer for 1 to 1½ hrs.
Stirring frequently. 5 minutes before taking off of the heat add the remianing cumin and stir well.
You may water by the ½ cup if necessary to make this less thick or masa harina (fine ground yellow cornmeal) by the ¼ cup to thicken it.
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