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