Texas Red

Since Drew and I are true Texans, we understand one thing about chili: there are no beans in Texas Chili.  Anything with beans in it that others would call chili is actually soup. 
But with that knowledge bred in to us from an early age, one would think the recipe for the perfect Texas Red would be taught to Texan children along with the ABC's.  This, sadly, is not the case.  The reason: like the perfect Texas Brisket, and bull riding, chili is a competition.  It is the kind of dish that every man has a recipe for and no one will tell.  Or they will "tell" you, but they leave out that one special thing that makes all the difference. 
So, we have had some trouble getting a Texas Red to please the palate and have the right texture.  Our last adventure in the kitchen ended with some amazing taco meat (I am not kidding).  Tonight, we have almost gotten there. 
We have tasted the promised land and it tastes oh so good.  I just need to get the texture just right.  So, like most Texans, I will be tweaking my recipe for the next 10 years.  I think if I haven't conquered chili by the time I get to 40, I should just give it up as a lost cause, and eat somebody else's.

So what is the recipe you ask.  Well, I am going to give it to you like any self-respecting Texan would: vague.  Here's what you do:

Chop an onion.  Cube some sirloin meat (about a pound).  Mince 2 cloves of garlic. 
Warm up your pan (I used an enameled cast iron dutch oven - small) with a little bit of extra virgin olive oil.  Add these ingredients.  Let those work together until the meat is seared on all sides. 
Add 1 Tbsp. chili powder, 1 tsp. cumin, 1 tsp. oregano, 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper and a few good shakes of hot sauce.  Stir well to coat.
Add 1 small can of tomato sauce (let that work for a minute).  Add a couple cups of beef broth (you could also use a good beer, but I wouldn't).  Stir well, cover, and let simmer for a good long while. 

You can top your chili any way you like, but I like mine like the song says: "Lots of cheese and onions."  Enjoy.  Let me know if you try it and if you like it.  Oh, and I guess you will just have to trust me that I wasn't leaving out the good part.

Day 5: OK City to Flower Mound, TX

With the night we had on Wednesday, we slept in and got started late.  I got a free cup of coffee at the hotel before we set out to go to the Oklahoma City Memorial.  The Memorial is such a respectful, peaceful place.  It is really a shame there is not something for the 9/11 victims in NYC.  There is a museum we will have to go to the next time we are in town.   Here are some pictures:

Since the temperature was in the thrirties, we did not stay long at the memorial and headed out to TEXAS!  We stopped along the way to eat lunch at On the Border.  Yes, it is a chain, but it is really good and consistent.  Drew had cheese and onion enchiladas and a beef taco.  I had the chicken tortilla soup. 

We also stopped along the way and got Sonic drinks. 

We arrived at Mom's house around 3:30 and spent some time visiting.  Then we headed down to Main Street in Grapevine for dinner.  If I have a hometown, I would consider Grapevine my hometown (I lived there from 1st grade to 6th grade...to this day, the longest I have lived anywhere). It was great to see Main Street.  They have it all decorated for Christmas and have Christmas music playing over a sound system installed all the way up and down the street.  We reminisced over days of Christmas parades and such as we walked to a "new" restaraunt.  Tolbert's was started by one of the founders of the Teriligua Chili Cookoff.  It is a spot where they have live music most nights of the week while they serve lunch and dinner.  Mom got the catfish dinner, I got Arturo's Grilled Cheese and Drew got a cup of Red (real chili...no beans) and Buffalo wings.  The food was great and the atmosphere lively.  Drew wants to come again to have the Five Alarm Chili next time.  Here are the pics: