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Bobbi Jo’s Tex-Mex Chili

Writer's picture: Bobbi Jo LathanBobbi Jo Lathan

Oven-Roasted Chuck Roast

When I was starring in the Broadway musical, The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas (which I told my Grandmama Watson was called, The Best Little Warehouse In Texas…as she was a very religious woman and I didn't want to worry about me!) I’d pick up the phone and tell a few friends I was cookin’ a pot of my Tex-Mex Chili on my days off. And, by 8 PM, I’d have 30 people over for supper! So, if you’re making this chili recipe, be sure you’ve got plenty of bowls and spoons!


Bobbi Jo’s Tex-Mex Chili

Recipe by: Bobbi Jo Lathan

Recipe type: Entrées

Cuisine: Chili, Tex-Mex

Serves: 4


Prep Time: 20 mins

Cook Time: 1 hour 45 mins

Total Time: 2 hours 5 mins

(Prep time does not include soaking beans overnight)

INGREDIENTS


1 pound ground beef (Meriwether Farms has great-tasting beef!)

1 1-pound bag of dried pinto beans

1 smoked ham hock  

1 white onion (chopped)

4 cloves of garlic (chopped)

2 tablespoons ancho chili powder (Pendery’s makes a really good one)

3 tablespoons ground cumin

4 teaspoons kosher salt

3 teaspoons ground black pepper

1 tablespoon coriander

3 tablespoons granulated garlic or garlic powder

3 teaspoons Mexican oregano

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 can stewed tomatoes (15 or 16 oz.)

1-2 jalapeño peppers (fresh and whole)

2 tablespoons white vinegar (or Uncle Henry’s Hot Sauce recipe from my new “An American Gal’s Cookbook)

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons cornstarch

INSTRUCTIONS


1. Soak your dried pinto beans in water overnight. Just throw ‘em in a pot, cover ‘em with water, stick the lid on the pot, and go to bed.


2. Next morning, place a colander in your kitchen sink, dump the beans into the colander, and drain and rinse the beans to remove any dirty water or debris.


3. In the pot or Dutch oven that you’re gonna cook your beans in, heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sauté the onions and garlic. Once the onions are translucent, add the tomatoes, the rinsed beans, the jalapeño pepper, the ham hock, and all the spices.


4. Then, cover the whole mixture in water (about 4-6 cups) and cook over medium-high heat for about an hour-1 hour and 30 minutes, or until the pinto beans have softened. (The juice should have cooked down a bit. However, don’t let it cook down below the beans, as we’re going to need one cup of the hot juice from the beans to make a slurry)


5. Once the beans are done, get out a small to medium-sized mixing bowl and add the 2 tablespoons of cornstarch to the bowl. Then, scoop out about 1 cup (I use a glass measuring cup) of the hot bean juice, add it to the cornstarch, and whisk until it thickens. Then, add the thickened mixture/slurry back into the beans, and then add the vinegar. Now, turn it down to low or simmer while we brown the beef. At this point, you can scoop out and taste the beans with some juice and decide if you need more jalapeño, cumin, salt and pepper, Ancho chili powder, etc.


6. Now, get out your skillet and brown the ground beef until it is browned on the outside but still barely pink on the inside.


7. Then, using a slotted spoon, scoop up the browned beef and add it to the pot of cooked beans, draining any excess grease before adding it into the bean pot. After mixing it all together, let the chili cook for another 15-20 minutes until fully incorporated and the beef takes on all the wonderful flavors from the bean juice. (Note: If you need to add and stir in a little more water, you can do so, a half-cup at a time.)


8. Once the 15- 20 minutes is up, turn off the burner and serve topped with some grated cheddar cheese, a dollop of sour cream, some salsa or pico de gallo, and some flour tortillas or corn chips or cornbread. YUM!


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