Harvest time has finally arrived.

A busy, mostly successful growing season is winding down, despite a trespassing groundhog, bent on bedeviling the plantings by using the garden as a personal buffet.

The massive hedgehog was frequently spied taking a single bite out of a dozen different vegetables at a time, tossing them aside, and then stealthily waddling off to its burrow, foiling attempts to wrangle and entice it to a new home.

That elusive portly groundhog (who we named Phil) won several lettuce and cucumber battles. Now the frost is on the pumpkin and the sprint is on to harvest the remaining bounty (despite Phil) from the gardens, plots, and swales. We plucked and picked a variety of herbs, mushrooms, elderberries, figs, leeks, cucumbers, and rhubarb. What an abundant bumper crop!  Tomatoes: lemon boy, midnight snack, green zebras, yellow pear, and Cherokees. Squash: zucchini, yellow crook, eight balls, patty pans. Chili peppers: Thai bird’s eye, Fresno, serrano, Hungarian wax, poblano, and even Bolivian rainbow chilis planted for fun, ornamental color. 

Phil is not a huge fan of chilis, and we were left with several bushels to put to good use. We roasted, dried, and ground them into powders, pastes, and rubs. We turned our efforts to utilize them for a seasonal cool weather dish, a hearty chili great for chilly autumn nights. We landed on a recipe for Texas-style chili which is where we hope Phil eventually hightails it to. Traditionally, this recipe would be known as “a bowl of red” and contain NO BEANS. We have gone off the range and used beans because they act as a thickening agent and are a very healthy, nutritious ingredient, so whether to use beans depends on personal preference.  We love Rancho Gordo’s Ayocote Blanco large white beans because of their creamy texture once cooked.  The full recipe will yield 1.5-2 gallons and freezes nicely. 

Below is a basic list of ingredients and particulars:

Beef: brisket is the perfect cut for this recipe; it keeps its flavor and texture during a long braising process 

Chili Powder: ancho chilis are preferred; they have a nice smoky flavor 

Cumin: adds an earthy, slightly citrusy, smoky flavor. 

Smoked Paprika: brings campfire ember flavor 

Bay Leaves: add an herbaceous flavor with notes of black pepper. 

Crushed Tomatoes: Tomatoes are the most controversial ingredient here and not usually found in an authentic Texas chili. But since the harvest yielded so many plump and ripe specimens, we had to oblige. Be warned that in the Lone Star state, the addition of tomatoes may get you apprehended and taken to the hoosegow, but this is meant to be a friendly recipe exchange, not to mention that tomatoes bring a nice acidity and sweetness to the chili. 

Tomato Paste 

 Lager Beer 

Water/Real beef stock: Water is fine for the “broth”, but a nice house-made beef au jus adds even more flavor to the chili. 

8 pounds brisket: Rubbed with ½ cup of olive or peanut oil, dry chili powder, salt, and ground black    pepper-marinated 24 hours 

Optional 12 oz white beans, sorted, rinsed, and simmered till soft 

1 cup olive or peanut oil 

 6 large, dried ancho chilis (about 3 ounces), stemmed, seeded, coarsely torn 

  1 1/4 pounds of onions, chopped (about 4 cups) 

½ cup chopped garlic 

2 tablespoons ancho chili powder 

2 tablespoons smoked mild paprika 

2 teaspoons cumin seeds 

 1 teaspoon dried oregano 

 1 teaspoon ground coriander 

2 large Bay leaves 

8 cups roasted, seeded diced tomatoes 

 1 cup tomato paste  

 1 12-ounce bottle Texas Lone Star beer, or any lager 

 12 cups water or beef jus 

 4 cups diced roasted mild green chilis, such as poblano 

 1 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro  

Directions:

• Place chilis in a medium bowl. Pour enough boiling water over to cover. Soak until chilis soften, at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours. 

• Using a Dutch oven or a heavy-bottomed braising pan with a lid, sauté onions in 2 T oil. Reduce heat to medium; cover and cook until tender, about 5 minutes 

• Place the brisket on a hot grill and grill on high heat, turning every five minutes, until caramelized all over, about 35 minutes 

• Drain chilis, reserving soaking liquid. Place chilis in a blender. Add 1 cup of soaking liquid, garlic, chili powder, cumin seeds, oregano, coriander, and 1 ½ teaspoons of coarse salt. Puree mixture adding more soaking liquid by 1/4 cupfuls if very thick. Pour puree over brisket in pot. Add tomatoes with juices, tomato paste, water/jus, beer, green chilis, cilantro, bay leaves and remaining oil. Stir to coat evenly. 

• Bring chili to a simmer on the stove. * Add soaked, cooked beans at this point if desired. Cover loosely with a lid at a slight tilt, and place in the oven. Cook for 2 hours. Uncover and cook until beef is tender, about 2 hours. Cook uncovered, adding more soaking liquid if needed to keep meat covered, about 45 minutes longer. Remove the brisket, cool, cut, and cut into 1-inch cubes, and return the brisket to the mixture. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. 

We haven’t seen Phil for a while. Perhaps he moseyed down south to warmer temperatures. We don’t miss him, but we’re glad he didn’t have a sweet tooth for chilis, even more for us in the chili pot. 

A couple of garnish ideas to serve on the side for toppings: 

• Cornbread croutons 

• Queso/cheddar cheese/cotija cheese 

• Guacamole 

• Pickled jalapenos 

• Pico de Gallo 
• Sour cream with chopped cilantro 
• Chopped red onion or scallions 

By Chef Mary Howley

Chef Mary Howley is a consultant, trainer, and recruiter for RCS Hospitality Group. She is a former Executive Chef of her own catering company, several privately owned country clubs, and fine dining restaurants. She has studied throughout Europe and honed her skills working with a myriad of culinary styles and foods. At RCS, she is the resident culinary consultant providing guidance on menu engineering, overall food & beverage management, back of house operations, and training. She had the honor to serve as research and development chef for Food Unlimited and held the position of Pastry Chef in two James Beard Dinner Events. Mary has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Maryland Institute, is a Certified Professional Food Service Manager, a certified TIPS trainer, and a member of the Women Chefs & Restaurateurs Association. Mary is passionate about cross-utilization, seasonality, sustainability, and the precious connection between people and food.