Chili

[Beth]

Not sure if there is another thread on this, but since I am a glory hog, I want my own thread! :P
I was wondering what y'all's favorite type of chili is. I know some insist on beans and some insist chili has no beans.
I personally feel that chili must have beans, but that is my taste, I prefer a more vegetarian style.

[Beth]

Tonight I am making chili, but the quick version and not the more labor intense one I make when I have more time.

I start with 2 pounds of ground chicken (most people use ground beef), two chopped bell peppers, and one and a half sweet onions. I cook these together in a pan of water-about 2 inches, by the time the water evaporates, the meat and the peppers and onions will be nearly done. I then grind some pepper over the top, add some diced garlic-about 3 to eight cloves, depending on whether I want to smooch that night, and let it cook a little longer. (If I were making the chili to my taste, I would have added four or five re-hydrated diced Arbol chili pods into the mix about now.)

Then I add one 27 ounce can of Bush's chili beans with sauce, a can of Rotel extra hot diced tomatoes and chilis, A 14.5 ounce can of diced, stewed tomatoes, a 19 ounce can of undrained cannellini (white kidney beans), and 2 15 ounce can of undrained seasoned black beans.

I mix it together, cover the pot, and let it simmer an hour or two and serve it over basmati or yellow rice- or sometime alone with saltines.

I then serve it with a buttermilk cornbread that has has pepper jack cheese, garlic, and sometimes creamed corn added to the batter.

Anyway, it is a quick dinner with usually enough for dinner for one night for a family of four, and enough left over for another night, if saved.

[JoeP]

A chili must have beans. That is the final word.

(Although nothing's final with beans...)

[John Carter]

Whether chili requires beans or not depends on what you mean by "chili". There are several different kinds. What most people mean when they say "chili" is "chili con carne". That implies beef as an absolute requirement, but it almost always has beans in it as well. On the other hand, I've never seen or heard of beans in a chili con queso.

I won't give much in the way of measurements, since I rarely measure anything. it's all "to taste".

Ingredients:

Lean ground beef
Stew meat
Garlic
Bell Peppers
Onions
Fresh Jalapenos
Green Chilis
Butter
Kidney Beans
Cloves
Bay Leaves
Cumin
Paprika
Ceyenne Pepper
Sugar
Salt
Peeled stewed tomatoes
Tomato Paste
Beer
Water

Chop onions, jalapenos, chilis and bell peppers. In seperate skillets, lightly brown the ground beef and lightly saute oniions, jalapenos, chilis and bell peppers in butter. Drain beef (do not rinse) and combine all ingredients in a large stock pot and simmer for 3-4 hours, stiring occasionally. I use about 2:1 beer to water.

[Dingfod]

Oh, pshaw, you guys and your fancy-schmancy ingredients.

I also do not measure most of the ingredients:
Warren's Chili con Carne

Lean ground beef or buffalo, sirloin steak, or stew meat
Onion
Garlic, only a small amount
Black Pepper, a little or a lot depending on who will be eating it, it adds heat
Chili Powder (a premix of powdered red chili, cayenne, and cumino), amount varies according to who will be eating it, mild for children and panty-wastes
2 12 oz. cans of Contadina tomato sauce
1 12 oz can of water
1 can of Rotel Tomatoes and Green Chilies
1 can of Ranch Style brand pinto beans, drained (no beans for Texas-style)
1 can of Green Giant Little Niblets corn, drained (optional, but people seem to like it)

Sear meat with onion and garlic. Add black pepper and chili powder according to taste, cook until any water is gone. Add tomato sauce and water, stir in Rotel tomatoes, pinto beans and corn. Bring to boil, cut heat to simmer, simmer for at least 30 minutes. Chili is actually better reheated the next day.

I've made it with leftover Thanksgiving turkey to rave reviews. I've made it with chicken too, but always cooked then chopped, not ground raw. I've never had anyone that didn't like my chili con carne. I've had my daughter's friends beg to come over to eat at our house when they find out I'm making it. That is the ultimate compliment.

[lisarea]

panty-wastes

I used to think it was that, too. Like they're a waste of their underwear.

But it's pantywaists, really. I think it implies that they are as weak and ineffectual as the elastic around your underpants.


1 can of Green Giant Little Niblets corn, drained (optional, but people seem to like it)

Where are you from? France?

I am the big hater of putting corn in chili or salsa or anything like that.

Corn. Feh.

Of course, I make the lamest chili ever.

Browned hamburger in garlic
Add cans of already-diced tomatoes
Add cans of already cooked pinto beans, usually
Add some spices--chile powder (not the premixed chili spices), cumin, oregano, salt and pepper, and garlic powder if I didn't put enough real garlic in already, mostly. That's all I remember.

No onions, because the Little Muffin doesn't like them. I put some raw diced onions on mine. And again, I usually just do the canned stuff because I decide to make it at the last minute and don't have time to soak any beans.

[Dingfod]

panty-wastes

I used to think it was that, too. Like they're a waste of their underwear.

But it's pantywaists, really. I think it implies that they are as weak and ineffectual as the elastic around your underpants.I knew that and was about to correct it but I got preoccupied by correcting pantie to panty, started thinking about panties and got sidetracked.


1 can of Green Giant Little Niblets corn, drained (optional, but people seem to like it)

Where are you from? France?I heard they were offering asylum for liberal Americans, if so I'd be willing to give it a shot. Oui? Non?

I am the big hater of putting corn in chili or salsa or anything like that.

Corn. Feh. Now that's unAmerican. Corn chowder, corn relish, corn salsa, corn bread, corn pone, corn chips and corn dogs, that's what America is all about, it's corny.

[RevDahlia]

IMHO there are two kinds of chili.

There is Real-Man Super-Authentico Bowl O'Red, which consists of nothing but chilies (not chili powder but ceremonially simmered and gutted chilies,) stewing beef, masa farina, water, maybe a little garlic, MAYBE half a small onion, and S&P all simmered together for hours on end. Sometimes the beef is browned in bacon fat beforehand. Apostates may add a tablespoon of tomato paste. This is the chili about which my adoptive home state is zealous.

Then there is Weekday Evening Wuss Chili, which involves ground or stewing beef OR shredded chicken, tomatoes in some form, lots of onions and garlic, a green pepper if possible, chili powder, cumin, cayenne, beans (I like black beans, but kidney are also popular,) maybe corn, and so on and so forth. It may be rendered vegetarian by omitting the meat. In my experience veggie chili is most delicious if made with different kinds of beans (black, kidney and little red when I make it.)

Fortunately both these varieties are fabulous. The first is worth trying at least once, and it's worth picking a Texan's brain about how to do it. It is a minimalist, almost Zen, preparation. The second is cost-effective, quick and impossible to screw up. We eat a whole lot of it at my house. I like mine with shredded Cheddar and cilantro and scallions and sour cream and minced jalapenos on top, with a side of tortilla chips.

/pompous holding-forth

[Godless Wonder]

I think what makes chili chili is not beans, or meat, or any substantial ingredient, it's McCormick's chili powder (http://www.mccormick.com/productdetail.cfm?ID=6413). I've had too many homemade chilies that didn't actually taste all that much like classic chill. That powder is magic chili essence, and will fix any chili. Some people may be able to conjure up that classic chili flavor from scratch, but most people can't and there are too many recipes floating around that fail to deliver.

[Legs]

Chili ala Legs..... use black olives, corn and instead of hamburger I use stewing beef.

As far as beans go, I used the red kidney bean but I add a can of garbonzo beans(chick peas), also lots of red onion, red peppers and topped with shredded cheddar.