Chili Stew

Preparation time: All phreakin' day, sunup to sundown.

*NOTE 1: This recipe is based on a classic recipe for Green Chili Stew. HOWEVER, this dish comes out red in color, and is decidedly NOT a traditional Green Chili Stew.

*NOTE 2: The most important part of this recipe is to make the chicken stock by following the instructions given below!

BASIC INGREDIENTS:

• 3 Lbs. boneless meat - pork, chicken, beef, lamb, elk, deer, moose, buffalo, whatever; Dice into whatever size you like. I use about 1/2" dice for bite-sized chunks of meat.
• 3/4 cup peanut oil (doesn't burn under high Temps.)
• 7-10 Anaheim chilies, roasted, peeled, seeded, de-veined and diced - Cut a slit in the peppers to prevent popping/exploding. Place in 375º oven or on grill, turning until darkened and the skin is peeling, about 1/2 an hour. When browned, place the peppers in a paper grocery bag for 15 minutes to 1/2 an hour to steam. Peel the peppers, REMOVE ALL THE SEEDS AND VEINS, rinse, then dice. (If you don't de-seed and de-vein, your chili may be too hot to eat - rinsing the seeded and de-veined chilies also reduces the heat.)
• Chicken Stock: 64 Oz. (2 quarts) NOT canned or boxed broth!! Cut the meat off a couple of pounds of bone-in chicken. ROAST the bones for an hour at 375º until they're brown. Add some veggies to the roasted bones - celery, onions and carrots, you can throw in onion skins for a nice, dark stock - then cover all with 2 1/2 quarts of water and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for another hour. Remove veggies and season broth with Kosher salt and pepper. Chill for 1/2 an hour and remove any fat from top of stock.
• 5 stalks celery, chopped
• 5 - 6 Med. or Roma tomatoes, peeled and diced
• Tomatillos, husked, washed and diced (10 for a large pot)
• Onions, chopped (2 for a large pot)
• Corn, fresh off the cob or frozen - Trader Joe's has grilled corn kernels
• 4 (or more!) cloves garlic, finely diced or crushed
• Carroll Shelby's Chili Fixings (just the chili powder mix - excellent mixture. The masa and salt can also be used - I throw away the cayenne!)
• Small amount of La Palma enchilada or chili sauce - 4 to 6 Oz.
• 1/2 cup Masa, (corn flour), dissolved in 1/4 cup or less cold water to make a paste.
• Cilantro, parsley and limes for garnish
• Whole wheat tortillas

OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS:

• Toasted pine nuts
• Hominy instead of corn - rinse well before adding to pot
• Potatoes
• Any type of squash
• Anasazi beans
• Great Basin Sage, Artemesia tridentata

INSTRUCTIONS:

Roast and dice the chilies, place in pot.

Sear the diced meat in 1/4 cup peanut oil, doing so in 3 batches. Use a large, preferably cast iron skillet that is SCREAMING HOT so that the meat will sear and brown quickly. As soon as the outside of the meat is dark brown, remove it from the pan to the soup pot in which you're going to make the chili. Add another 1/4 cup oil and the next third of the meat and repeat the process. You want a lot of brown stuff to stick and build up in the bottom of the skillet - the more the better.

Deglaze the skillet used for cooking meat -- use wine or sherry -- reduce slightly and add the scrapings to the pot.

Add all of the vegetables to the pot.

Pour in the CHICKEN STOCK.  Make sure that the stock covers all the ingredients.  If it doesn't, use more stock, or top off with red wine or beer.

Add Carroll Shelby's chili powder -- use about 3/4 of the chili mix package for this recipe; you can add the rest later if you want to.

Add the La Palma enchilada or chili sauce.

Bring entire pot to a boil, then cover and simmer for at least 1.5 hours.  Ideally the pot should simmer 6 or 7 hours - the more time simmering the more subtle the flavor blend and the more tender the meat. Stir while simmering, being sure to scrape the bottom of the pot to prevent scorching. 

About 1/2 hour before serving, stir masa and water mixture into pot. Stir briskly while adding to avoid lumps. Continue to simmer the chili.

Serve in bowls with tortillas and butter and lime on the side, garnish with cilantro/parsley. Accompany with margaritas, tequila shots, Mexican beer (Bohemia or Negro Modelo are my first choices), and a big pitcher of water or lemonade with lots of ice.