Texas Red originated in 19th century Texas. It is the bastard love child of a Mexican immigrant and a dirty old cowboy chuck wagon cook. And now you realise why it draws me oh so close to its bosom.

Big Red’s Texas red originated in the 21st century deep in the belly of the Stockpot Kitchen in Lismore, NSW.

Traditional Texas red does not contain beans or even tomatoes according to whoever wrote the rules about that, but I think we all know by now that I have a bit of a problem towing that line, so my version has 100% got a few tomatoes in it. I like it.

I don’t put seasoning in at the start of this one because the smoked meat is seasoned and the stock is often season too. We’ll sort the salt out at the end this one time.

It’s perfect in a bowl or you can eat it straight out of the pot, because you are the boss of you. My favourite presentation is chilli and rice in a bowl, grill or flame thrower some cheese onto that, fried egg and pickled chillies (peppers). I also use this one for a damn fine chilli burger or chilli dog, a toasted chilli cheese sandwich and/or any Tex-Mex application you need chilli for.

BIG RED’S TEXAS RED

500 g beef mince
500 g smoked brisket, roughly chopped
1 onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons sweet paprika
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 dried ancho chilli, soaked in hot water to soften, stem removed
1 chipotle chilli in adobo (or try 2 or 3 if you like some heat in your panties)
1x 375 g tin crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 cups beef stock – smoked brisket jus is really good here if you have some
Salt and pepper, to season

Heat a splash of oil in a large pan over medium heat.
Add onions and garlic and sauté until soft.
Add beef mince and cook out for 7-8 minutes.
Break mince up with a spatula or whisk as it cooks.
Add paprika, cumin and chillis and cook out for another minute.
Add tinned tomatoes, sugar, beef stock and smoked brisket and turn heat down to low.
Use a whisk to break everything up and repeat breaky uppy process every 10 minutes for the next 45 minutes.
Check seasoning and adjust if necessary.
Get it into your mouth hole however you see fit. Some of the ways I like to do it are;
In a bowl with rice, gratinate cheese on top of that, add a fried egg and pickled chillies (peppers).
With a spoon straight out of the pot in the wee hours of the morning.
On a cheeseburger with chopped onion and jalapeno.
On a hotdog with grated cheese and chopped onion.