Basic Ingredients

• As the name suggests, chili con carne is a hot, spicy stew in which the meat, not the pepper, takes a supporting role. That said, two perfectly authentic versions could vary significantly, some with smoky chunks of meat, others reduced almost to a mild ground beef puree. Texas chili, the base for Mexican, starts off by sauteing aromatics in a large, heavy pot. Onions and garlic are standard, with some versions extending to celery and carrots. The meat is browned in the same pot, after which the peppers are introduced. Simmering liquid comes in the form of a simple beef stock, with a ½ cup of filtered coffee or bottle of dark beer an option for depth. Mexican chili typically incorporates crushed tomatoes and beans for texture and volume, an outrage in Texan terms. Kidney beans are suitably robust, but black or pinto beans make for a good three-bean mix.

Spice Notes

• Given the importance of the spice, it is worth sourcing a selection of fresh or dried peppers rather than reaching for a powder mix, which will inevitably have lost some of its bite during storage and can give the chili a dusty finish. In chili folklore, the overpowering pepper was a simple ploy to counter the strong flavors of fresh-killed beef, but experimenting with different pepper varieties can hit multiple notes. For a fiery chili, slice up a fresh Scotch bonnet or 2, removing the seeds to temper the heat, and taking care not to touch your face with peppery fingers. Fresh chilies can be sweet like a dried Anaheim, hot like cascabels, smoky like the chipotle or fruity like ancho. Try a mix as some of the hotter chilies don’t really contribute much apart from raw heat. Round out the flavor with paprika, cumin and some cayenne pepper.

Meat Options

• The original San Antonio chili called for cheap cuts of beef and pork shoulder, cubed and browned in suet, then simmered for up to 2 hours to allow the fat and gelatin in the meat to break down. If not shoulder, any hard-working muscle will do, such as chuck or flank, but bear in mind the meat shrinks during cooking. Mexican chili, however, tends to favor ground beef, or a ground beef/pork mix. The beans will add texture, but incorporating browned pork belly or chorizo can also give variety. Allow 2 or 3 chili peppers per pound of meat for a mild chili, more than 4 for hotter. Meat-free chili con carne might not work linguistically, but vegetarians can enjoy an adequately robust chili by substituting cubed eggplant, thick portobello mushrooms or straightforward soy protein for the meat.

Serving Suggestions

• Mexican chili con carne is meant to be the kind of low-maintenance stew that can be prepared in camp if necessary. Once the meat is browned and the sauce under way, cooks have little more to do than monitor the consistency and top up with stock or water. Start off on a high heat to brown the meat instead of stewing it, then reduce the temperature, cover and allow the flavors to build. In a slow cooker, chili emerges triumphant from 8 to 10 hours on low, while the stew can also be transferred to a Dutch oven and roasted for a couple of hours at around 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Depression-era chili came with just crackers or cornbread. Modern versions pair up with anything from rice to pasta. To retain the Mexican theme, top with sour cream and serve with warm tortillas, or a fresh guacamole and tomato salad.