If you know anything about Texas food, you know chili isn’t just a recipe — it’s religion. And this one comes straight out of Dallas County lore.
Back in 1962, Dallas Morning News columnist Frank X. Tolbert wrote a piece called “That Bowl of Fire Called Chili” for The Saturday Evening Post. It was one of the first times Texas chili got a national spotlight, and folks across the country paid attention. Tolbert got more than 29,000 letters after it ran — proof that people take their bowl of red real serious.
Now here’s where it gets good. In that article, Tolbert shared a chili recipe from a Dallas County sheriff in the 1930s named Smoot Schmidt. This wasn’t some fancy competition chili — this was jailhouse chili. The kind served inside the Dallas County jail system all the way into the early ’60s. Rumor has it former inmates even requested the recipe when they were released. That’s how you know it was legit.
This was old-school Texas chili at its core: beef, chiles, garlic, and cumin. No fluff. No filler. Just bold flavor.
Of course, this being Texas, the story doesn’t end without a little rivalry.
Bill “Billy Goat” Hauck, the sheriff of Bexar County — home of San Antonio, the Tex-Mex capital of the world — took issue with Dallas getting bragging rights. He claimed his jail system produced a better bowl and even joked he ought to arrest Tolbert for suggesting otherwise.
Problem is… Hauck never shared his recipe. So Dallas keeps the credit, the legend lives on, and the debate rolls forward — just like it always has in Texas. Because around here, arguing about chili might be our favorite pastime after eating it.
Boil about a cup of water and pour into a bowl over your chilies de arbol. Let steep for 10 minutes. Once the chilies are soft, chop finely and set aside.
Prepping the Meat
Cut your chuck roast into 1/2 inch chunks, taking off most of the excess fat. Season evenly with Blanco, roughly 1.5T.
Making the Chili
Add the beef tallow to a Dutch oven set to medium high heat. Brown the chuck roast in 3 batches, making sure not to overcrowd the pan. Set me aside in a bowl.
Add the onion without removing the fond from the pan. Sauté for six minutes on medium heat until browned. Add garlic, chilis de arbol and Texas chili seasoning and cook for two minutes or until fragrant.
Return the beef and any of its liquids the the Dutch oven. At this time add the beef broth and chopped corn tortillas.
Bring to a boil and drop to a simmer. Let the chili simmer for about three hours, stirring occasionally until liquid has reduced and thickened. Using a large spoon break up any big chunks of meat, at this point, it should be falling apart.
