Jan's Cowboy Chili

It's Cowboy time in town!

Bigger than the Christmas shopping season, bigger than the County Fair...and second only to the Sturgis Bike Rally (which brings upwards of a half million people to our area)...

It's the Black Hills Stock Show and Rodeo!!!

 This is where you buy your new Stetson or Rodeo King hat,

a new pair of Ariat jeans or Justin boots.

 This is where you show off your best stock dog or pick up the pup to start your new line.

You can improve your stock other ways, too - Sunday was the stallion show, later this week will be heifers and bulls.

And then there's the chili cook off.

This is real cowboy chili - the kind you eat from the back of a chuck wagon after a long day in the saddle.

(By the way, you can buy a chuck wagon at the Stock Show, too!)

Meaty, spicy, tomatoey and rich...mmmm....

It makes you want to sink your life savings in a custom made Stetson!



In honor of the Stock Show, I'm sharing my own version of Cowboy Chili.

This is different than any other kind of chili I make - -

...there's Chili con Carne, made with ground beef and lots of chili powder...

...and there's Cincinnati style chili - I like mine 5-way with spaghetti, chili, beans, onions and cheese...

...and, of course, Chili Verde, made with chicken, white beans and green chilies...

But none of them hold a candle to the real thing.

Jan's Cowboy Chili

Start with about 1 1/2 pounds steak. I like to use round steak, or these little chuck steaks.

They're slightly icy in this picture - being slightly frozen makes the meat easier to handle.

Cut the meat into 1/2 inch cubes, and then prepare the marinade.

Marinade ingredients:
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup oil - vegetable or olive
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Mix the marinade ingredients together, and then pour over the cubed meat in a plastic bag or glass bowl. Put it in the refrigerator and let it marinate for at least 30 minutes - an hour or two is better.

While we're waiting for the meat to soak up all those great flavors, we'll have a peek at the heifers....






After an hour or so, it's time to start cooking the chili.

Drain the marinated meat, reserving the onions and meat.

Brown in a tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot, and then add the rest of the ingredients:

2 cups beef broth
2 cans red beans (drained and rinsed)
1 can (14 oz.) tomato sauce
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
1 teaspoon oregano
2 tablespoons cumin

Let all this simmer, covered, for an hour or two. Or three. Or put it in the crock pot for a half day or so...

Now, lift the lid and take a whiff. Don't you feel like you're on a cattle drive with the cowboy of your dreams?

And don't forget to stick around for the PRCA Rodeo this weekend!