Texas Senator Sam Pendergrast "greasy Spoon" Chili

Total Time: 2 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients

• 1 lb fatty bacon
• 2 lbs ground beef, course grind
• 1 cup cumin seed, whole
• 1 cup ground red chili pods, preferably new mexican
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3 -6 tablespoons cornmeal, as needed to thicken
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon paprika (optional)
• water, as needed

Recipe

• 1 fry the bacon to extract or "render" the fat.
• 2 make a big bacon sandwich to eat while the chili cooks (after all, good chili doesn't have bacon in it).
• 3 saute the ground beef in the bacon fat over medium heat, for at least 10 minutes.
• 4 slowly add the cumin and red chili, a tablespoon or so of each at a time, until the mixture looks and smells like chili (this is a critical point; if you add all the spices at once; there is no room for adjustment to allow for personal taste.
• 5 let the mixture cook awhile between additions, and don't feel that you have to add all the spices.
• 6 add water to avoid sticking or if you want a thinner chili.
• 7 add the cayenne.
• 8 simmer for at least 2 hours, until you have to try some early.
• 9 skim the grease if you absolutely have to or you can add some cornmeal to thicken the chili and make the grease "disappear".
• 10 finish with salt, pepper and garlic to taste and if you like, the paprika to further darken the color.
• 11 continue simmering til served.
• 12 reheat as many times as needed until gone, it get better each time.