It use to be a change in the weather, down here, it's the turning of a calendar page. Fixed up my first pot of chili for the season. The chillies are not as hot as they will be a little later in the year and I did not have time to get out and gather any of the little suckers that grow wild down here, but a respectable pot was produced.

It use to be a change in the weather, down here, it's the turning of a calendar page. Fixed up my first pot of chili for the season. The chillies are not as hot as they will be a little later in the year and I did not have time to get out and gather any of the little suckers that grow wild down here, but a respectable pot was produced.

 

Recipe???

You don't use those Guatemalan insanity peppers, do you?

Recipe???

Yeah, I'm sure he uses one.

Recipe???

 

More of a basic outline:

 

Brown the meat (I prefer to dice up a roast) with some jalapeños, 1015 onions (vidalia sort of, sweeter than most, developed here in the Rio Grande Valley), and garlic.

 

Drain if necessary.

 

Crush some tomatoes, till it looks right. Add tomato puree if they seem to dry. I'll also dump in a little beer if I'm drinking something full bodied.

Add some chillies, about 1/3 of what you will be adding. (I like to use a couple different styles)

small amount of green pepper, more if less chillies are used

beans

Worcestershire sauce

Chili powder

Cumin seeds, roasted and ground

Oregano

pinch of cinnamon

 

Simmer about 2 hours, adding your chillies at intervals. Also layer your dried spices as you go.

 

I like to serve with some extra pepper, onions, and cheese, and pan de campo (camp bread) or cornbread.

 

There is a little wild pepper I find down here. I believe they are called pequines. It will kill you if you do not like raw heat. I'm getting old and I mellowed out my chili and only use a few and early on, never the final hour or so. The longer cook times seem to mellow out the spice. My goal is small beads of sweat while you eat with no discomfort the next day.

More of a basic outline:

 

Brown the meat (I prefer to dice up a roast) with some jalapeños, 1015 onions (vidalia sort of, sweeter than most, developed here in the Rio Grande Valley), and garlic.

 

Drain if necessary.

 

Crush some tomatoes, till it looks right. Add tomato puree if they seem to dry. I'll also dump in a little beer if I'm drinking something full bodied.

Add some chillies, about 1/3 of what you will be adding. (I like to use a couple different styles)

small amount of green pepper, more if less chillies are used

beans

Worcestershire sauce

Chili powder

Cumin seeds, roasted and ground

Oregano

pinch of cinnamon

wasn't there a chili thread last year where you wrote a screed against beans in chili? am i thinking of the wrong poster?

wasn't there a chili thread last year where you wrote a screed against beans in chili? am i thinking of the wrong poster?

Great memory False Alarm. I actually said Just Say No. So I guess now it's Just Say Yo! I go back and forth. Beans in chili are much less popular down here than up north.

I'm not much of a chef, but I do make a mean chili. I am definitely pro-beans, but I tend to use black beans more than typical chili beans. A mix of the two works well, I've found. I also like to add some flakes of baker's dark chocolate (unsweetened), if I have it around. And I tend towards a lot of cumin.

 

Its cool and crisp now in Chicago - I think you've inspired me to cook up the first batch of the season.

 

Hmmm, chocolate in the chili. I don't recall if I've ever had that, but it sounds good. Almost like a mole sauce??

Hmmm, chocolate in the chili. I don't recall if I've ever had that, but it sounds good. Almost like a mole sauce??

That's kind of the idea, same with the black beans. I tend to make a darker, richer chili.

 

Great memory False Alarm. I actually said Just Say No. So I guess now it's Just Say Yo! I go back and forth. Beans in chili are much less popular down here than up north.

 

sell out! chili should have no beans. and you know this.

 

Boo beans, yay chili

I love chili, I eat it all year round.

I made some chili recently (using a box mix, Cugino's, which is REALLY great for a box mix) and left the beans out. It was one of the first times I skipped the beans, and it was amazing. I'll probably never do beans again.

 

I made a chilli last year that was an "old style" chili. The recipe was 2 pages long and took all damn day to make. Everybody who had it was knocked out by it, but I'm not so sure it was worth the time, mess, and money involved. I'd post the recipe...but I can't find it now.

Yeah, it's about time for chili and soup.

 

I had some s*** on a shingle for dinner tonight. Yum.

I had deer meat chili a few weeks ago, it was delicious

Tex I'll PM you my address, I expect the bowl to still be hot when it gets here. TIA.

chili + beans = fantastic

 

I need to get better at making it though..

Yeah, it's about time for chili and soup.

 

I had some s*** on a shingle for dinner tonight. Yum.

 

 

Wow.. I have not heard that expression in at least a decade. Love that creamed chip beef.

 

 

I am also a no bean chili eater.

Yeah, it's about time for chili and soup.

 

I had some s*** on a shingle for dinner tonight. Yum.

 

On biscuits or toast? That does sound good.

 

 

I had deer meat chili a few weeks ago, it was delicious

 

Game is great in chili. But it does have to be red meat. No chicken, pork, or tofu. (sorry Soxy) You can make chili-like dishes with those proteins but do not call it chili.

 

 

Tex I'll PM you my address, I expect the bowl to still be hot when it gets here. TIA.

y'all have to come to Texas. The surfing is just getting really good.

Game is great in chili. But it does have to be red meat. No chicken, pork, or tofu. (sorry Soxy) You can make chili-like dishes with those proteins but do not call it chili.

Wrong. I make some awesome herbivore chili. And to get that protein? A side of quinoa.

A buddy of mine makes a chili from a family recioe that uses green olives in it and it's awesome. Anybody else ever put olives in their chili?

Wrong. I make some awesome herbivore chili. And to get that protein? A side of quinoa.

 

y'all ain't from around here. That must be that Yankee cityfied, sissyfied, chili.

 

Recipe?

y'all ain't from around here. That must be that Yankee cityfied, sissyfied, chili.

 

Recipe?

I'm afraid I'm that girl that doesn't cook with recipes. Throw some beans (red and white kidney and black beans), crushed tomatoes, onions, garlic, (potatoes if I'm feeling saucy), some chilli powder, a hint of curry powder, some cayenne pepper, and maybe some fake ground beef (but usually not). Start cooking it, if it smells right keep cooking, if not add stuff. I doubt I've ever cooked the same chilli (or any stew or soup) the same way twice. But it's always delicious.

That seems more like ranchero beans than a chili.

 

I'm slowly eliminating meat from my diet. I've dropped it from almost all my breakfasts and about half my lunches. Dinner is still an issue, but getting better.