Published March 1, 1998.
For the best beanless Texas-style chili recipe, start with big chunks of chuck roast. We found that toasting and grinding fresh chiles gave us the best flavor. Flavor was also improved by adding bacon, which lent our chili recipe sweetness and smokiness. Thickening with masa harina or cornstarch helped, too, making for a smoother, softer, and more appealing sauce.
Grill-smoking the meat, a technique from food writers John and Matt Lewis Thorne, authors of the Serious Pig (North Point Press, 1996), in combination with chipotle chiles give this chili a distinct but not overwhelming, smoky flavor. Make sure you start with a chuck roast that is at least three inches thick. The grilling is meant to flavor the meat by searing the surface and smoking it lightly, not to cook it.
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