We prepared this chili recipe indoors last weekend, but most of our little guests spent the afternoon outdoors in the treehouse. With cool January weather, our Texas Treehouse Chili warmed up the crowd and even won the approval of the native Texans in attendance.

Texas Treehouse Chili

 Yield: 20 medium servings

3 pounds beef flank steak, chopped

3 tablespoons ground cumin

2 cloves garlic, diced

3 tablespoons Texas-style chili powder

1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

8 ounces fire-roasted diced green chiles (I used Hatch mild)

16 ounces green chile tomatillo salsa

8 stalks celery, diced

5 medium to large tomatoes, diced

1 large sweet Vidalia onion, chopped

 2 teaspoons fresh oregano, chopped

8 cups water

Salt

Chop beef into small pieces. Cook over medium heat in large pan with ground cumin. Add diced garlic and brown for five minutes.

In smaller sauce pan, cook tomatoes, Tabasco, green chiles, salsa, celery, onion, and oregano. Warm through.  In small bowl mix one tablespoon water with chili powder.  Add this paste to vegetable mixture. Stir thoroughly. Cook evenly for 30 minutes. Pour vegetable mixture into pan with beef.  Add water.  Cook over low heat 2 hours until tender. Salt to your liking.