Recipe: Line Camp Chili and Biscuits

LINE CAMP CHILI AND BISCUITS

FOR THE CHILI:
4 dried chipotle chilies
4 dried ancho chilies
1 to 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce
1 cup flat beer
1 cup chopped onions
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sliced carrots, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 cup sliced parsnips, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 1/2 pounds sirloin steak, trimmed of fat and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
FOR THE BISCUITS:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
2/3 to 3/4 cup milk

TO MAKE THE CHILI:
Place the dried chilies in a large heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water. Let stand 30 minutes, until soft; then seed and stem them.

In a food processor, puree the chilies with 1 cup of the tomato sauce and the beer. Set aside.

In a deep skillet or Dutch oven, saute the onions and garlic in the vegetable oil until the onions begin to soften.

Add the carrots and parsnips and saute until soft, 7 to 10 minutes.

Add the beef and stir to brown it.

Add the pureed chili mixture to the skillet along with the salt, pepper, cumin and Worcestershire. Simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes, stirring often, adding only enough of the remaining tomato sauce to keep the chili from sticking. Keep it warm while you prepare the biscuits.

TO MAKE THE BISCUITS:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Mix the flour, baking powder, salt, cream of tartar, and sugar in a large bowl. Cut in the shortening until the mixture is crumbly. Pour in the milk and stir just long enough to make a dough that holds together.

On a lightly floured board, knead the dough a dozen times; no more. Pat the dough out about 3/4-inch thick. Using a floured drinking glass or a cookie cutter, cut the dough into rounds. Reroll the scraps to cut more biscuits. There should be 5 or 6 biscuits.

TO BAKE:
Put the chili into a 2 to 2 1/2-quart casserole. Top with the biscuits.

Bake about 20 minutes, until the biscuits are light brown.

Adapted from source: Chili Nation by Jane and Michael Stern