6 dried ancho chilies, plus 8 dried hot red chilies,
each about 2 inches long
3 cups boiling water
1/2 pound beef suet, preferably kidney suet
3 pounds lean boneless venison or beef chuck
3 medium-sized, finely-crumbled bay leaves
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped garlic
4 teaspoons dried oregano
3 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon salt
3 tablespoons yellow cornmeal
Directions
Under cold running water, pull the stems off the ancho
and red chilies
Tear chilies in half and brush out their
seeds
Cut away any large ribs, chop coarsely, drop
them into a bowl, and pour in boiling water
Soak for at
least 30 minutes, then strain and reserve liquid
In a
heavy 5 to 6-quart casserole, cook the beef suet over
moderate heat until it has rendered its fat
Remove and
discard the suet bits
Leave about 1/4 cup fat in pot.
Trim fat from meat, cube and cook over moderate heat
until firm but not brown
Add 2-1/2 cups of the
reserved chili-soaking liquid and bring it to a boil over
high heat
Add bay leaves and simmer partially covered
for 1 hour
Place cumin in ungreased skillet and toast
the seeds over low heat for 10 minutes
In a blender,
pulverize the seeds, then add the chilies, remaining chili-
soaking liquid, the garlic, oregano, paprika, sugar and
salt, and blend again at high speed until all of the ingre-
dients are reduced to a smooth puree.
Add puree to meat and simmer partially covered for 30
minutes
Then, stirring constantly, slowly pour in the
commeal and cook over high heat until the chili comes
to a boil and thickens slightly
Add ground hot pepper if
desired and serve with freshly cooked pinto beans and
rice in separate bowl.
