Chili gets me out of bed.
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Recipes · Chili Gravy

Robb Walsh’s Chili Gravy

From Robb Walsh’s The Tex-Mex Cookbook: A History in Recipes and Photos (2004). Walsh is the principal historian of Tex-Mex and calls chili gravy the lifeblood of the old-fashioned cuisine. We could not consult the book directly; quantities follow the Food.com reprint, and a 2016 HuffPost reprint differs slightly.

About 2 cups, enough for a pan of enchiladas (about 8 servings) · About 25 minutes

An oval plate of three rolled enchiladas under dark red chili gravy with melted yellow cheese and chopped onion, Mexican rice and refried beans beside them.

Method

  1. 1

    Heat the fat in a skillet over medium-high heat.

  2. 2

    Stir in the flour and keep stirring for 3 to 4 minutes, until the roux turns light brown.

  3. 3

    Add all the dry seasonings and stir constantly for about a minute.

  4. 4

    Pour in the broth or water and stir until the sauce thickens.

  5. 5

    Turn the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes, adding water if it gets too thick.

  • The HuffPost reprint, credited to the same book, calls for vegetable oil or shortening, 1 tsp garlic powder and beef broth.
  • Walsh has said that older cooks made the roux with beef tallow.

Sources

  1. Chili Gravy from Robb Walsh, Food.com
  2. Serene Herrera, 'You’re Only 30 Minutes Away From Enchiladas... Texas Style!,' HuffPost (2016)
  3. Barry Popik, 'Chili Gravy (Chile Gravy),' The Big Apple
  4. 'A Texas helping of enchiladas, to make at home,' Seattle Times (2016)