A Dirt Simple, Plain, but Tried and True Texas Chili

Posted By Tessie2.

Ingredients.

About 2-3 lbs. of beef, preferably a chuck or round (don't use a fancy cut!)
1/2 lb. of the best double-smoked bacon you can find
2 large onions, chopped
1 Tb. ground cumin (or more to taste)
1-2 Tb. good quality chili powder
1-2 Tb. paprika (optional, for color and less heat)
2-4 cloves garlic (optional)
Water
Salt and pepper to taste

Cube the beef into bite-sized chunks. Dice the bacon. Heat a large heavy pot, fry
the bacon until almost crisp. Scoop it out and set aside (so it won't get burnt). Then
fry the meat in the bacon fat until browned on all sides -- you may have to do this
in batches. Scoop out the meat and add to the bacon. Saute the onions (and garlic
if you're using it) in the bacon. (Those who really get concerned can drain off some
of the fat, but it won't be true Texan at that point.) When it's soft, throw in the cumin,
chile powder, and paprika and cook briefly. Return the meat, cover with water and
bring it to a boil. Taste and add salt, then cover and set it to simmer for a couple of
hours. Thicken as needed with cornmeal or stale tortillas. Serve with sour cream or
cottage cheese, diced onions and, of course, beer. Like all good chilis this is best
made a day in advance and reheated.