Backbone Rub Co. · Recipe of the month · October 2026

Texas Red Chili

Serves 6–8 · About 3 hours

A bowl of red, Texas style — beef, dried chiles, and time. No beans, no tomatoes, just a deep red gravy made for cool evenings and a crowd around the table.

Ingredients

3 lbs beef chuck, cut into ½-inch cubes
6 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
3 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons Backbone Original Family Rub
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3 cups beef stock
2 tablespoons oil or beef tallow
Salt to taste

Method

1.
Toast the dried chiles in a dry pot for about a minute per side until fragrant, then cover with hot water and soak 20 minutes. Blend with a cup of the soaking water into a smooth paste.
2.
Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium-high and brown the beef in batches. Set it aside.
3.
In the same pot, add the garlic, cumin, and oregano and stir for a minute.
4.
Return the beef to the pot. Stir in the chile paste, 2 tablespoons Backbone rub, and beef stock.
5.
Bring to a simmer, then cook low and slow, partly covered, for 2 to 2½ hours, until the beef is tender and the gravy coats the meat. Salt to taste.
6.
Serve with shredded cheese and warm cornbread or tortillas.

Perfect pairings

Warm cornbread
Shredded cheese
Flour tortillas
Cold beer or sweet tea

Kitchen tip

Toast the dried chiles gently — a scorched chile turns the whole pot bitter. A minute per side over medium heat is plenty.