Recipe: Texas White Chili
We waded into battle with 120 lbs of Peeler Farm’s chicken recently at our big, East Austin food party.
36 young hens received a variety of treatments, but our personal favorite was a riff on Texas Red Chili where we substituted chicken for beef, and ended up with a competition-caliber kettle of some of the finest Texas chili we ever had the pleasure of eating.
It’s not everyday you get to enter a recipe into the culinary canon of the Great State.
Texas White Chili (recipe number 100 in the archive)
1 c. Fat, schmaltz
10 lbs chicken, we hickory smoked 5 whole hens and harvested the meat off the bones
1 c. chile powder, Guajillo (dried Mirasol)
1/4 c. Cumin
3 T. Ground Oregano aka Mexican Oregano
2 T. Salt or to taste
3 T. Cayenne
2 bulbs garlic, chopped
8 quarts stock, chicken
2 c. masa harina
2 c. Water
method
* Heat fat til it shimmers
* Brown chicken thoroughly, in batches
* Add seasonings and cook on low heat for 30 minutes
* Add stock, bring to boil,
* Add slurry of masa mix/water
* Simmer 30 minutes
* Adjust flavors
Voila! This recipe will damn near fill up a 14 quart stock kettle. We blazed through our batch in about 2 hours, but reckon it would last a mite longer for normal, family service.
Please respect the Texas tradition, and do not sully this recipe with tomatoes, onions, tomatillas or beans.
You may however use a variety of garnishes including Fritos, green onions, white cheddar cheese, and/or sour cream