No, I did not grind my own meat this time. Our butcher had a sale on grass fed, pasture raised beef and it was only on my walk home that I knew I had to make chili. I had to stop at another store to get canned whole tomatoes to make this work.
Yes, my ambition is to get close to the Pedernales River Chili that Lady Bird Johnson and LBJ served JFK and 5,000 guests at their ranch outside Austin TX on the Pedernales River in the summer of 1962.
But all the First Lady calls for is beef, onions and chili powder et al. I’m doing my version of it with nearly five pounds of beef. four onions, at least ten cloves of garlic all done first before the beef. Then I mash canned tomatoes and add seasoning.
I usually make this on a weekday but today my husband was home and the initial smell of the beef and cooking it reminded him of his brother bringing home a deer on a particularly warm Thanksgiving and the family (not us) “processed it” in the kitchen for six hours. Yes, I had a tough time that day and spent much of it outdoors.
Now I’ve put the chili up for the night to meld flavors and everything smells of cumin, onion, garlic and hot chile powders. That’s the way it goes. Now we have to give everyone a taste, including staff and my butchers. I’ll re-heat it tomorrow for dinner, correct the seasonings and add a few sprinkles of cheese on top, a dollop of sour cream and a squeeze of lime juice.
btw, There are no BEANS in a Texas chili. Even the kids there have guns and I’d be shot on site if they saw a bean in my chili. They haven’t tasted it yet. It’s too much to add to the five dishes I’m already bringing, even though we’re flying in for Thanksgiving and nothing is required. I just have fun with my m-i-l as we fly around her kitchen banging out dishes together.
Here’s to the lady who beautified our world by banning billboards and planting Texas Bluebonnets in fields. To walk in one of those fields with my pup who is now nearly ten years old is a joy I’ll always remember.
That Austin named Town Lake “Lady Bird Lake” is a well-deserved tribute. I will continue to perfect her chili and while she, LBJ and JFK will not be attending, I’ll do my best to keep our guests happy. Cheers! Dee
Cooking with Dee 