Chile Con Carne Rojo, Sonoran Style

Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins Preparation Time: 40 mins Cook Time: 50 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 23-24
• 6 lbs beef roast (i find it's usually cheaper to buy a roast and cut it up myself) or 6 lbs stewing beef (i find it's usually cheaper to buy a roast and cut it up myself)
• 16 ounces red chili paste (sold in arizona by santa cruz chile, or you can make your own like this one hatch red chili sauce)
• 4 -6 bay leaves
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• ground pepper
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup shortening
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (or fresh minced garlic, to taste)
• 1 -2 teaspoon dried oregano (to taste)
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Recipe

• put the cut-up beef in a dutch oven or similar large kettle, cover with water and boil with salt, pepper, garlic, onion, and 3-4 bay leaves. boil until meat is tender.
• remove bay leaves and throw them away. remove the meat.
• pour the liquid into another container. (i use a good-sized plastic pitcher.).
• stir the chili paste into the liquid. ( or use 8 ounces of the paste and 8 ounces of made-from-scratch chile sauce. or if you have an asbestos tongue, skip the commercial stuff entirely!).
• melt shortening in the bottom of the kettle. add flour and cook until brown, stirring almost constantly.
• add 10 cups or so of the beef stock/chile mixture gradually, while stirring. (it's like making gravy.).
• reduce heat and add oregano, cumin, more garlic, and salt to taste.
• stir in the meat.
• do not add tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, stewed tomatoes, or any other tomato product!
• serve with flour tortillas and refried beans. or make your own burros and serve it that way. left overs (if any) freeze well.