Ok, measured most things, and actually recorded the recipe I used this time. It came out really good.
Texas style Smoked Chili
Ingredients:
~2lbs flank steak (or whatevers on sale
I personally dont think the cut is going to make a huge difference as I cut it up into quite small pieces, across the grain)
1 medium onion, fine dice
2 stalks celery, fine dice
½ green pepper, fine dice
4 green jalapenos, fine dice
The Gravy:
4-5 red jalapenos
4 poblanos, roasted and skins removed
2 chipotle chiles, in adobo sauce
8 cloves garlic, made into paste
28 oz tomato sauce
28 oz beef stock
12 oz beer (medium bodied ale works best, nothing heavy, though)
Brown sugar to adjust sweetness level to desired taste.
The powder:
5-6 ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed and cut up (scissors work best)
1 tsp whole cumin seeds
2 tbl whole coriander seeds
1 tsp dried oregano
Finely cube the meat, making sure one cut is directly made across the grain (I went about 1/8). Dredge in olive oil, kosher salt, and freshly ground pepper. Let come to room temperature, about 15-20 minutes while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Lightly toast the ancho chiles, coriander, cumin, and oregano over medium-medium low heat, stirring frequently. After about 15 minutes toasting, transfer to a food processor or spice grinder. Grind fine.
Brown the meat over medium high heat, about 5-7 minutes. You do not need to cook completely at this step. Remove the meat and drain and discard the fat. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat and sweat the onions, celery, green and jalapeno peppers, pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper. A little color is ok, but dont try to carmelize the vegetables. Remove.
Saute the red jalapenos over medium-high heat until they become soft, 2-3 minutes. Add the tomato sauce, beef stock, beer, and a pinch of salt . Chop and add the chipotles, roasted poblanos, and garlic paste. Stir until incorporated. Use an immersion style blender to puree until smooth. Taste, add brown sugar if necessary. I used a tbls at most.
Add back the meat and vegetables, and simmer over low heat 2-3 hours.
Serve with whatever makes you happy: I use white rice, monterrey jack cheese, sour cream, and a pinch of chopped, fresh cilantro.
Notes: Texas style chili is defined by just meat and a smooth red sauce. There are no beans. The 2 small chipotles add all the smoke from the name. I love this flavor. If youre looking for something milder, use roasted red peppers instead.
This may seem quite time-consuming, but mis-en-place is key. Chop everything before you even turn the burners on! (Unless you need to roast the poblanos, of course!)
Fresh chile powder is essential. Take the time to do this. Premade powders have been sitting on the shelf forever and have lost most of their flavour.
Salting in stages is crucial to this dish. It is near impossible to salt to taste at the end of cooking. Salt the meat, vegetables, and sauce all separately.
Immersion blenders can be messy. Make a radial cut into a paper plate and slip it over the blender.
Best cooked and cooled the previous day. This allows the flavors to meld more and also works in the benefit of thickening the gravy and re-gelatinizing the meat, effectively tenderizing it believe it or not.
