Wayne Adair's Chili posted to alt.cooking-chat
http://groups.google.com/groups?selm=3B0A93C1.7B55025%40swbell.net&oe=UTF-8&output=gplain

Don't put beans in it. An authentic bowl of red has no beans.

   2 lbs. of stew meat, ground once (not twice).
   1/2 cup ground red chiles (or plain ground chile powder, without the
added spices).
   1 heaping tablespoon of comino
   1 heaping teaspoon of paprika
   1 1/2 tablespoons of dried onions
   1 1/2 level teaspoons of salt
   1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of Mexican oregano (don't over-so it)
   1 can of tomato sauce (8 oz.)
   1 can of water (8 oz.)
   1 clove of garlic
   black pepper to taste


   Brown the meat and skim off some of the grease if it is greasy, then
add the other ingredients and simmer for 30 mnutes.

   Then mix 2 *level* tablespoons of masa flour into 1/4 cup of luke-warm
water. Stir it up good, so there are no lumps. Add that to the pot and
simmer for another 30 minutes.

   If you want your chili hot, add 1/2 teaspoon of cayene pepper. You can
leave the cayene out entirely if you like mild chili, or you can put a
whole teaspoon of cayene pepper if you like it really hot.

   If you don't have masa flour, you can use corn starch for a thickener.
Try using less though, untill you see how much it is going to thicken the
chili. Mix it with water, just like you would do if you had masa flour.
It the first time you add it, it doesn't thicken it enough, add some
more.
_______________________________________________

   Where did I get this recipie? From a box of Wick Fowler's 2 Alarm
Chili Mix. If you are not familiar with it, it comes in a box with
several packets of spices. You have to buy the meat and the tomato sauce
yourself.
   Wick Fowler spent all his life trying to make the perfect bowl of
chili, or Texas Red. He wrote a book on it too. His 2 Alarm Chili is a
good starting point for people who want to know what that kind of chili
is lile. His mix makes a good pot of chili.

   One time I measured the ingredients and wrote them down. That is the
recipie you see here.
_________________________________________________


   It is best if you have a spice grinder and can grind the cumin seeds
fresh. It is also better if you can get the large dried red chilies, and
grind them yourself, but they can really wear out your spice grinder. You
have to dry them out in the oven first, or they will be too wet to grind
properly. You may find it easier to buy the red chilies pre-ground. But
don't get that kind of chili poder that already has garlic powder and
other spices mixed into it. Get plain ground red chilies. There are
several varieties. Any of them should work well.
__________________________________________________

   The Chili is better if you let it season for 24 hours before you serve
it.

   Serve it in a big bowl, and garnish it with fresh chopped onions and
grated mild chedder cheese. Put a bottle of ketchup on the table. That is
a standard condiment with that kind of chile. I always put a litte
ketchup in my bowl of red.

   Don't put beans in it. Then it isn't a bowl of red anymore. It would
be very good to eat, but it wouldn't be an authentic bowl of red.

   This chili is great for making chili dogs out of. Garnish your dogs
with onions and cheese too.

   Be carefull not to overdo it with the cumin also. After you know how
you like it, you can juggle these ingredients until you get it just like
you like it, then you will be an authentic chili chef. Wick Fowler's
recipie is a good starting point for experimentation. It is a good,
standard bowl of chili con carne (Texas Red).

   Ground meat will work too, although it is usually double-ground.
Single ground stew meat is the best.
   I have always meant to make a pot without grinding the stew meat at
all. I think that would make for some good, chunky, burritos. Just put
the chunky chili con carne into a flour tortilla, that has been warmed
up, and garnish it with diced tomatoes, grated mild cheddar, and lettuce,
with a little salsa drizzled inside.
_______________________________________________

   If you can't find Mexican oregano, it will still be good without it.
If you decide to put regular oregano in it, go easy. It's not the same as
Mexican oregano. A little hint of regular oregano would probably be okay
though. You will just have to play with it.