Chili Queen Chili

This is, according to the legend, an original recipe of one of San Antonio?s chili queens.

2 pounds beef, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 pound pork, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup suet
1/4 cup pork fat
3 medium onions, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 quart water
4 ancho chiles, seeds and stems removed, chopped fine
1 Serrano chile, seeds and stems removed, chopped fine
6 dried red New Mexican chiles, seeds and stems removed, chopped fine
1 tablespoon cumin seeds, freshly ground
2 tablespoons Mexican oregano
Salt, to taste

Lightly flour the beef and pork cubes. Quickly cook in the suet and pork fat, stirring often. Add onions and garlic and saut? until they are tender and limp. Remove all pieces of fat. Add the water to the mixture and simmer for 1 hour.

Grind the chiles in a blender or molcajete. Add to the meat mixture. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for an additional 2 hours. Skim off any fat that rises, then serve.