Living the Good Life In Georgetown Texas: January 2010

This Wednesday January 27 marks the 5th International Holocaust Rememberance Day as designated by the United Nations in 2005 to honor all the victims of the Nazi era.

Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum Archives

  On January 27th 1945 the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp was liberated by the Allies ending one of the darkest periods in the world's history.  Now 65 years later the Georgetown Library is presenting an exhbit titled ' A Reason to Remember' from Jan 17th thru Feb 13 2010 sponsored by the Congregation Havurah Shalom of Sun City.  This traveling exhibit of photos, artifacts, and documents from five Jewish familes in the 1930's and 40's in Germany portrays the stories of life in the rural German village of Roth and is a microcosm of  life across Nazi occupied Europe and how it affected the Jewish residents.  On January 27th at 2pm the library will have a free lecture by C.S. Ragsdale, auther of 'Living Longer Than Hate', the story of Holocaust survivor William Morgan who escaped the camp at age 16.  His entire family perished and he was the only inhabitant of his village to survive.  For more information visit the United Nations Holocaust site, or the Georgetown Public Library. 

With the fridgid cold weather that has visited Central Texas and the National Title Game between my beloved UT Longhorns and Alabama, this seems like the perfect night to enjoy a hot steaming bowl of my TEXAS CHILI.  Yes folks, I"m gonna share my recipe handed down from my forefathers who developed this recipe while chasing cows and Indians and drinking cervasa with locals.  There is one caveat though, to those that might like to embellish their chili with beans.. this is a NO BEAN recipe!  If you like beans I have another recipe for that.   So enjoy the chili tonight and a few cold beers, and HOOKEM HORNS!

Texas Chili  

as handed down by Miguelito after plying him with many Shiner Bock beers.

Six Pack of Shiner Bock (if you're not from Texas.. substitute a nice dark beer)

1lb of Chili Meat(any cheap meat will do, even road kill, just chop it into chunks)

1 lb of sausage(hot or medium, if you've got a heart condition you can even use turkey sausage)

1 Med Onion, chopped

1 Stalk of Celery (chopped of course, you idiot)

1 Bell Pepper (also chopped, see above)

3 Tablespoons chili powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp oregeno

1/4 tsp red pepper

4 cups chicken stock (you can cheat and use bouillion cubes in 4 cups water if you dont keep old chicken fat around)

1 med jalepeno pepper seeded and finely chopped

1 large can tomato sauce

3 Tablespoons worchester sauce

Open a Shiner Bock Beer

In a large pot, brown the meat and sausage, you can use a little oil, and drain well.  Add all the chopped stuff and pour in half a beer.

Let it simmer for a bit while you mix up the powder seasonings.  Add all the seasonings to the 4 cups Chicken stock mixture and stir. 

Open another beer and the can of tomato sauce.

Pour the chicken stock/spice mixture in and add the tomato sauce.

Add the Worchester Sauce

Finish off the 2nd beer, pour a bit in the pot for good measure.

Cover and let simmer for a couple of hours, the longer the better, or just finish off the 6 pack and it's ready!

Serve with hot tortilla's, or crackers.  you can embellish with schredded cheddar cheese.