Chile Con Carne Rojo, Sonoran Style

This recipe came to me in a cookbook published as a fund-raiser by the faculty of the school where I taught. I've used it for thirty years or so, making so many changes along the way that it is now truly "my" recipe. Enjoy!

• Ready In: 1 hr 30 mins
• Serves: 24

Ingredients

• 6  lbs beef roast (I find it's usually cheaper to buy a roast and cut it up myself) or 6  lbs stewing beef (I find it's usually cheaper to buy a roast and cut it up myself)
• 16  ounces  red chili paste (sold in Arizona by Santa Cruz Chile, or you can make your own like this one Hatch Red Chili Sauce)
• 4 -6  bay leaves
• 1  medium onion, chopped
•  ground pepper
• 1  cup flour
• 1  cup shortening
• 1⁄4 teaspoon garlic powder (or fresh minced garlic, to taste)
• 1 -2  teaspoon dried oregano (to taste)
• 1⁄4-1⁄2 teaspoon ground cumin

Directions

1. Put the cut-up beef in a dutch oven or similar large kettle, cover with water and boil with salt, pepper, garlic, onion, and 3-4 bay leaves. Boil until meat is tender.
2. Remove bay leaves and throw them away. Remove the meat.
3. Pour the liquid into another container. (I use a good-sized plastic pitcher.).
4. Stir the chili paste into the liquid. ( Or use 8 ounces of the paste and 8 ounces of made-from-scratch chile sauce. Or if you have an asbestos tongue, skip the commercial stuff entirely!).
5. Melt shortening in the bottom of the kettle. Add flour and cook until brown, stirring almost constantly.
6. Add 10 cups or so of the beef stock/chile mixture gradually, while stirring. (It's like making gravy.).
7. Reduce heat and add oregano, cumin, more garlic, and salt to taste.
8. Stir in the meat.
9. DO NOT add tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, stewed tomatoes, or any other tomato product!
10. Serve with flour tortillas and refried beans. Or make your own burros and serve it that way. Left overs (if any) freeze well.