Texas Red Chili — No Beans, No Apologies

Ingredients

• 2½ lb Steak, in small cubes (never ground, says Texas)
• 4 tbsp chili powder + 1 tbsp cumin + 1 tsp oregano + 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 onion + 5 cloves garlic
• 2 cups beef stock + 1 cup strong coffee (the old-timer move)
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp masa or cornmeal, to thicken
• Toppings: cheddar, onion, saltines — beans банned by tradition, welcome at your own table

Method

1. Sear the beef cubes hard in batches; brown is flavor currency and this dish pays cash.
2. Soften the onion, add the garlic and ALL the spices, frying 1 minute into a rust-colored paste with the tomato paste.
3. Return the beef with the stock and coffee. Simmer on LOW, partly covered, 2 hours until the cubes relax into shreds-with-structure.
4. Whisk in the masa slurry for the final 10 minutes — the traditional thickener that smells faintly of tortillas.
5. Serve with cheddar and onion. Note for the congressional record: Texas chili contains no beans. Your kitchen, your rules — but now you know the stakes.