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Pedernales River Chili Recipe

United States · Servings: 10–12

Texas cuisine Pedernales River Chili was American President Lyndon Johnson's favorite chili con carne recipe. It was named after the location of his Texas Hill Country ranch. The recipe calls for leaving out the traditional beef suet (on doctor's orders after his heart attack while he was U.S. Senate Majority Leader) and also adds tomatoes and onions. LBJ preferred venison, when available, over

Ingredients

  • 4 lbs (1.8 ) coarse-ground meat (venison preferred)
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano (preferable to fresh oregano, which grows wild in central Texas)
  • 1 teaspoon powdered cumin
  • 6 teaspoons chili powder (or more, to taste)
  • 2 cans (16-oz/500g) whole tomatoes
  • Salt to taste
  • 2 cups (470 ml) hot water

Procedure

  1. Brown meat, onion, and garlic in a large skillet.
  2. Add rest of ingredients and bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover, and simmer for about an hour.
  3. Skim off grease.

Adapted from Wikibooks Cookbook · Cookbook:Pedernales River Chili, CC BY-SA 3.0.