MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.02

Title: Left Handed Chili (Well, Why Not?)
Categories: Chili, Beef
Yield: 1 Batch

2 lb Lean beef (stew meat, round,
- or something similar); cut
- into 1/4" chunks or run
- through your butchers'
- chili blade
1 lb Sweet Italian sausage;
-casing removed
2 tb Lard, bacon drippings, or
-cooking oil
1 lg Onion; chopped
2 cl Garlic; minced
2 tb Hungarian sweet paprika;
- up to 1/4 c
1 tb Ground cumin
2 tb Mexican oregano; crushed
1 ts Ground coriander
12 oz Can beer
2 Beef bouillon cubes
2 tb Tomato paste
2 tb Masa or cornmeal; heaping
Water; as needed
Salt; to taste
White pepper; to taste

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 to 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 mild, chili.

Recipe by Kathy Pitts in Bryan, TX, Dec 1, 1994

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