Original San Antone Chili

From the 1979 Philip Morris cookbook – Famous Chili Recipes from Marlboro Country

Chuckwagon cooks from around San Antonio were mighty proud of their chili and mighty set in their ways of puttin’ peppers in and leavin’ beans out. But San Antone Chili sure stuck to your ribs, and even if you liked beans, you didn’t complain. At least where the cook could hear you.

1/2 pound suet
2 pounds lean beef shoulder
1 pound lean pork shoulder
3/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 onions, choped
6 cloves garlic, minced, or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/2 quarts beef stock or canned beef broth
4 dried Ancho peppers
1 dried Pastilla pepper
1 dried Casbel pepper
1 tablespoon crushed cumin seeds or ground cumin

Fry suet in Marlboro Chili Kettle. Remove suet and discard. Cut meat into 1/2 inch cubes. Combine flour, salt and pepper in brown paper bag. Add meat and shake to coat. Save remaining flour. Sear floured meat in hot fat, stirring to prevent sticking. Add onions and garlic; cook and stir until soft. Add beef stock or broth and bring to a boil; then reduce heat and simmer slowly while preparing peppers.

Wash peppers under cold running water; remove stems and seeds. Put in a saucepan; cover with water and boil for 5 minutes. Let steep 10 minutes. Lift out peppers and grind or puree, adding 1 1/2 cups water in which peppers were cooked. Add to meat, cover and simmer 2 -3 hours or until meat is tender. Grind cumin seeds using a mortar and pestle or a heavy spoon in a cup; add to chili. Add salt to taste. Mix flour saved from browning meat (about 1/4 cup) with cold water; add to chili and cook 3 to 5 minutes to thicken. Makes about 2 1/2 quarts.

*If these peppers are unavailable, substitute 4 to 6 tablespoons of chili powder.

Suet (/ˈsuː.ɪt/) is raw beef or mutton fat, especially the hard fat found around the loins and kidneys.

Texas Red Chili

From the 1979 Philip Morris cookbook – Famous Chili Recipes from Marlboro Country

Chili pangs” could strike a man whenever the skies got gray and the wind turned cold. A plate of Texas Red was a sure cure. Hot and hearty, it was the kind of chili that warmed a cowhand’s belly and brought him back for more.

1/4 pound suet, finely chopped
6 pounds lean beef, coarsely cubed
1 cup chili powder (about 4 1/2 ounces)
2 tablespoons crushed cumin seeds or ground cumin
2 tablespoons ground oregano
2 tablespoons salt
1 to 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 quarts beef stock or canned beef broth
1/2 cup masa harina or cornmeal
1/2 cold water

Fry suet in Marlboro Chili Kettle until crisp. Then add beef, about 1 pound at a time and brown, stirring as it cooks. Remove each pound after browning. When all meat is browned, return it to kettle and add seasonings and beef stock or broth. Cover and simmer 1 1/2 – 2 hours. Skim off fat. Combine masa harina or cornmeal with cold water and stir thoroughly into chili. Simmer 30 minutes. Makes about 3 3/4 quarts.

Suet (/ˈsuː.ɪt/) is raw beef or mutton fat, especially the hard fat found around the loins and kidneys.

Masa is Spanish for dough, but in Mexico it sometimes refers to cornmeal dough (masa de maíz in Spanish). It is used for making tortillas, tamales, pupusas, arepas and many other Latin American dishes. The dried and powdered form is called masa harina; it is reconstituted with water.

1958 Egg Nog

This recipe appeared in The Times in an article by Craig Claiborne.

It’s important to get good farm-fresh eggs, with really orange yolks and really thick cream. Halve the recipe for a smaller gathering.

12 eggs, separated
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup bourbon
1 cup Cognac
½ teaspoon salt
3 pints heavy cream
Grated nutmeg
1 to 2 cups milk (optional)

In an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks with the sugar until thick. Slowly add the bourbon and Cognac while beating at slow speed. Chill for several hours. Add the salt to the egg whites. Beat until almost stiff. Whip the cream until stiff. Fold the whipped cream into the yolk mixture, then fold in the beaten egg whites. Chill 1 hour. When ready to serve, sprinkle the top with freshly grated nutmeg. Serve in punch cups with a spoon. If desired, add 1 to 2 cups of milk to the yolk mixture for a thinner eggnog. Makes about 40 punch-cup servings.

Bowl of Red

2 tbsps olive oil
1 large onion
3 garlic cloves, chopped
4 lbs boneless chuck, in dice or ground for chili
1/2 cup ground mild red chile, preferably New Mexican
2 tbsps ground cumin
2 tsps dried oregano
1 tbsp sweet paprika
1 tsp cider vinegar
1/2 cup strong brewed coffee or 1 tbsp instant coffee powder
3 cups water as needed
1 tbsp salt
1/2 tsp ground red pepper (cayenne), optional
2 tbsps cornmeal
Optional garnishes: sour cream, chopped cilantro, grated cheese

In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil and cook the onion over medium heat until it’s soft. Add the garlic and cook until it’s transparent. Add the meat in several batches along with the chile, cumin, oregano and paprika. Remove each batch to a large bowl as it’s cooked. Stir and cook until the meat is browned, then put all the meat back in the pot and add the vinegar, coffee and enough water just to cover the meat. Add the salt and cayenne and stir well.

Cover the pot and cook over low heat for 2 hours, stirring from time to time. Remove the lid and simmer for a final hour. Skim off any fat on the surface. Add the cornmeal and stir in well. Cook for 15 more minutes and serve hot in deep bowls. Garnish with sour cream, chopped cilantro and grated cheese.

Serves 8

Nutritional info per serving: Protein, 38.6 gms; fat, 64.5 gms; carbohydrate, 6.6 gms.

Black Bean Soup

1 cup black beans, soaked overnight in 6 cups water, drained and rinsed
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbs. cooking oil
4 cups chicken broth
1 tsp. coriander
1/4 tsp. ground red pepper
3 tbs. dry sherry (optional)
Salt to taste

In large saucepan or Dutch oven, saute onion, celery and garlic in hot oil until tender. Add beans, chicken broth, coriander, and pepper. Bring to boiling, reduce hear and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until beans are tender. Salt to taste. If desired, garnish with shredded Monterey Jack cheese or snipped parsley.

Serves 4

Nutritional content: 15 gms. protein; 5.5 gms. fat; 32 gms. carbohydrate; 805 mg. sodium; 249 calories per serving.

Brine Turkey

Ingredients

1/2 cup ground kosher or sea salt per quart of water for brine (vary this according to taste)
olive oil
2 tbsp peppercorns
2 tbsp sage
2 tbsp thyme
1 stick butter
1/2 cup white wine
1 tsp garlic powder
olive oil
10 lbs (preferably oak) charcoal briquets (non-self starting)
hickory or mesquite wood chips (hickory burns hotter and longer, but can’t beat the flavor of mesquite!)
10 – 20 lbs turkey
large container to brine the turkey
large container to soak the chips
aluminum foil
fire starter
meat injection kit
Brinkman-type smoker

Determine all times based on thawing, brining and smoking time. Thawing a large bird can take days. Allow 10 – 12 hours each for brining and smoking.

Brining

Thaw the turkey completely. Find a container large enough to cover the entire turkey with water. You will have to devise some method to “sink” the turkey as it will float in the salt water. Mix up enough water to cover the turkey completely by adding up to 1/2 cup ground kosher salt to each quart of water, dissolving it completely. Make sure to clear any air spaces from inside the turkey as this will ensure complete brining and assist in “sinking” the turkey in the brine water. To sink the turkey completely, put a lid on the container or some weight on the turkey to keep it down. Store the brining turkey overnight in the refrigerator. When you are ready to finish preparing the turkey, take the turkey out of the brine and dry it with paper towels.

Soaking the Wood Chips

At the same time you start the brine soak, begin the soaking the wood chips. I use a complete small bag of chips for this. Cover your chips completely in water. Take the wood chips out of the soak right before you begin to cook. You are soaking these chips to make them smolder and smoke when you put them on top of your coals.

Injecting

Inject your turkey with a mixture of 1 stick melted butter, 1/2 cup white wine and 1 teaspoon garlic powder.

Rubbing

After injecting the turkey, coat the turkey with olive oil. Grind the peppercorns in a coffee grinder and mix with the ground sage and ground thyme. Rub the mixture all over the turkey. The bird is now ready to cook.

Preparing the Wood Chips

Build a “boat” out of aluminum foil large enough to contain the wood chips on top of the burning briquets. Punch some holes in the bottom of the boat to allow air to flow through. Drain the wood chips and place them in the boat.

Preparing the Smoker

Place a 10 pound bag of charcoal briquets (oak does the best job) in the fire pan of the smoker. Avoid self-starting briquets as you will taste the fuel in the food. Dowse the charcoal with charcoal lighter fluid and light. When the flames die down and the edges of the coals are glowing, carefully place the “boat” of chips on top of the coals (use leather gloves). This could be a tight fit, but with a little persistence you can get everything in. Put the empty water pan in place and fill it with water. Be careful not to extinquish your fire. Replace the grill. The cooker is now ready.

Cooking

Place the turkey directly on the grill. Cover with the smoker lid. Verify that the fire is taking by checking the temperature attached to the cooker lid. Once it has caught, resist all temptation to look inside. Never open the smoker lid or open the side door. There is no need to add more water or chips or charcoal. The fire will burn hottest and heaviest at the beginning before it slows to a lower, steady and smoke-free state, eventually running out of fuel. Do not remove the turkey until the heat has lowered to the point where it is obvious that it is only keeping the bird warm. After this point, remove the turkey. I suggest you remove the turkey right before you are ready to eat. If you started 10 – 12 hours before you want to serve your turkey, your time should be just perfect.

Enjoy!