Have you ever thought about cooking something based on a concept?  Well, that is where this recipe comes from. One day I was watching an old Western movie (I think it was Red River with John Wayne) and during a scene at the chuckwagon, I thought about what the cook would have available to make a dinner for the cowboys.  Thinking they would not be able to use many fresh ingredients, I began to formulate a recipe from what may be available on a chuckwagon – dry beans, dried chilis, dried or preserved meats, dried herbs, etc. Now… I will admit I did not research this topic at all. There may actually be a website or book that contains a list of what a chuckwagon carried and the type of meals the ‘cookie’ might prepare.  This recipe was simply was a mental exercise to challenge myself in the kitchen and the results came out tasty – hence I want to share it with you.  So let’s eat well on the range, pardner!

Chuckwagon Chili

Ingredients:

• 3 oz of regular beef jerky, cut into 1 inch by 1/4 inch strips
• 4 oz of smoked pork jowl (or naturally smoked bacon, etc.), diced
• 1/3 cup of dry pinto beans
• 1/3 cup dry small red beans
• 1/3 cup dry light red kidney beans
• 1/2 small onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 dried pasilla chiles, cleaned and seeded
• 2 dried california chiles, cleaned and seeded
• 2 dried new mexico chiles, cleaned and seeded
• 1 12oz can of diced fire roasted tomatoes
• 1/3 cup black coffee
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp dried parsley
• 1/2 tsp dried cilantro
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp ground arbol chile
• salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Clean and soak the dry beans in a large bowl of cold water overnight.

In a small saucepan, bring 2 cups of water to a simmer. In a large pot or dutch oven (my favorite stew/chili pot!), toast each side of the dried peppers over low/medium low heat.

When toasted on both sides (the peppers will become more pliable, slightly sweat and be fragrant), remove from the pot and place into the saucepan with simmering water.

Steep the peppers for 10 minutes or more to soften and extract the flavors.

In the pot, increase the heat to medium and render the diced bacon/smoked pork jowl until crispy.  Reduce the heat to low.

Put the steeped peppers and liquid into a blender, add the diced tomatoes and dry seasonings. Blend on low, being careful to watch for heat build-up forcing the cover off. Increase the speed until the peppers are blended smooth. Drain the soaked beans and add to the large pot. Add the blended peppers to the large pot and heat to a low simmer.

Add the beef jerky and cook until the beans are tender about 3 hours, stirring occasionally. About halfway through, add the molasses and vinegar – and if too thick and in danger of sticking, 1/2 cup of water.  When the beans are tender, taste and add salt and pepper as needed.