Jailhouse Chili
Jailhouse Chili is a big-batch beef chili modeled on the version served in the Texas prison system. In the early 1900s, regular guests of Southwest lock-ups reportedly ranked their cells by the quality of the chili, and towns competed over it. The recipe is plain and meat-heavy: coarse-ground beef, a lot of cumin and garlic, and no beans or tomatoes. A long, covered simmer does the work.
Instructions
Sear the beef in a little cooking oil, not lard, until it is lightly browned. Move the beef to a large stock pot, add the crushed red chile peppers, and pour in just enough water to keep the meat from burning.
Bring the pot to a boil, then lower the heat, cover, and simmer for about 30 minutes.
Take the pot off the stove and stir in the cumin, chili powder, paprika and garlic. Return it to the stove, bring it back to a boil, then lower the heat again.
Simmer for another 90 minutes, keeping the lid on as much as you can. Stir only when needed, since too much stirring tears the meat apart. If anything looks in real danger of burning, add a little water, as little as you can manage.
Take the pot off the stove and skim off all or most of the grease. Serve the chili hot.
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