RL Reeves Jr Recipe: Carroll Shelby Texas Chili With Ground Turkey

The underground economy in New Orleans is still thriving. I did a friend a nice favor recently and in exchange he gifted me a three pound packet of Jennie O ground turkey.

In my life as a chef I’ve roasted, smoked and deep fat-fried hundreds of turkeys but I’ve never tackled ground turkey meat. That’s what steers are for I always reckoned.

My fall back in my cooking life is usually chili. I’ve been immersed in the Texas chili scene for 30 years now and have been making the pilgrimage to Terlingua for the Wick Fowler shootout since the 80s. It’s a nice lifestyle to be part of in these interesting times.

I rooted through my kitchen cabinets yesterday and realized I had two boxes of Carroll Shelby chili mix but since I enjoy long days on the range I decided to make the chili kettle from scratch. If you’re a lazy cook just run by the local grocer and buy the Shelby box kits. They’re nearly as good as homemade.

RL Reeves Jr Carroll Shelby Texas Chili With Ground Turkey

Ingredients

  • 3 lbs ground turkey
  • 1 tbsp chili powder
  • 1.5 tbsp cumin
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • .5 tsp oregano
  • .5 tsp paprika
  • .5 tsp salt
  • .25 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
  • 1 tbsp masa harina
  • 1 can (28 oz) whole peeled tomatoes, crushed
  • 1.5 cups chicken stock
  • 2 tbsp bacon fat

    A tribute to the foodways of Terlingua, Texas. A pop up food party I threw a few years ago

    Method

  • Brown turkey in bacon fat in a large kettle
  • Add all spices and stir for 1 minute
  • Add crushed tomatoes and chicken stock, then stir
  • Simmer uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes
  • Mix masa harina with 2 tbsp stock or water, stir into chili
  • Simmer for 5 more minutes
  • Adjust salt