SC - OOP- Chile con Carne Mary of Agreda

[Decker, Terry D.]

Chile con Carne Mary of Agreda

Recipe originally from G.L. Herter's Bull Cook

2 lbs venison or beef
1 lb javelina or pork
4 cloves of garlic chopped fine
2 tablespoons of lard or suet
3 bay leaves
1 qt. ripe tomatoes or 1 large can of tomatoes
1 medium onion chopped fine
1 cup chile pepper pulp or 6 tablespoons of chile powder mixed with 1
tablespoon of flour
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon cumin 

Cube the meat into 1/2 inch squares.
In large cookpot, melt the lard or suet.
Brown the onions and garlic.
If chile powder is used, add enough water to the chile powder and flour to
form a thin paste.  Stir into the onions and garlic until smooth.
Add meat and 3 tablespoons of water.  Cover and steam for 5 minutes.
Press the tomatoes through a colander and add to the meat.
If chile pepper pulp is used, add it and stir it in and cook for 20 minutes.
Add oregano, salt and cumin.
If necessary, add water.

If beans are desired, cook them separately and serve with the chile ladled
over them.


Apocryphally, this recipe is the creation of Mary of Agreda, the first
missionary into the part of New Spain which became the American Southwest.

Venison and javelina being a little hard to get, I use beef and pork.  I use
whatever fat is available to brown the onions and garlic.  And I tend to use
the chile powder and flour, that being the most available product.

The fire of the chile depends on the quality of the chile powder.  An
average chile powder makes it hotter than many people like and a medium
Hatch chile powder will make it pleasantly spicy for most fire eaters.  The
burn can be adjusted by cutting back on the chile powder.

I once made this with Nigerian chile powder and cut the recipe back to 1/3
of normal.  About a dozen people tried it and four finished one bowl.  Count
Finn Kelly O'Donnell and I finished off two bowls each.  I haven't made it
this hot since because the Nigerian chile powder is hard to come by and I
can't find enough victims to help me finish off a batch.

Enjoy

Bear


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