All You Need to Know About Chili
Source of Recipe
Grandpoohbah
Everyone loves chili, and everyone has their own ideas about what the perfect pot of
chili is all about. Texans will insist that the only proper pot of chili con carne is one
that contains cubes of beef, lots of hot chile peppers and nothing else. Other people
can't imagine a bowl of chili without thinking of ground beef, tender kidney beans and
zesty chunks of tomato.
Midwesterners prefer to think of chili as a generously spiced concoction that rests on
a silky bed of buttered spaghetti beneath a thick blanket of cheese. Still other
people's chili of choice is pale and mild, boasting chunks of lean chicken meat, white
beans and green chiles swimming in soothing broth. Whatever your preference may
be, you're sure to enjoy some of chili's most popular incarnations!
Chili vs. Chile
Before you embark on your next grocery shopping trip to stock up for that big pot of
chili you've been craving, note that chile powder is not the same as chili powder.
Chile powder consists purely of dried and ground chile peppers, while chili powder
is a combination of ground dried chiles, oregano, cumin, garlic and salt.
Texas Chili con Carne
Although chili con carne takes its place in history as a distinctly American dish, the
method was adopted from Mexican cookery, and became a widespread dish that
Texas cowboys would cook on the trail. Since the cowboys were generally given the
tougher, cheaper cuts of beef for their provisions, they would chop up this meat and
simmer it with lots of hot chiles for a long time, until the meat became tender and was
surrounded by a thick, greasy, spicy gravy. Genuine Texas chili can contain cumin
and oregano, but no tomatoes and no beans, and nothing else that would distract you
from the very essence of the dish: chiles and meat. To keep with tradition, serve
Texas chili with tortillas or soda crackers.
Second in line after Texas chili for "fiercest fan following" is Cincinnati chili. This
concoction has a tomato and ground beef base, and it's seasoned with cloves,
cinnamon, cardamom, chocolate and coffee. Cincinnati chili is traditionally served on
a bed of spaghetti and topped by a thick blanket of shredded mild cheddar cheese.
This is "three-way" chili. To turn it into "four-way" or "five-way" chili, top the chili
with kidney beans and/or chopped onions. Serve this multi-tiered Cincinnati specialty
with oyster crackers or soda crackers on the side.
Chili with Beans (Plain Ol' Chili)
When most people in the world think of chili, though, this is what they think of:
kidney beans surrounded by seasoned and spiced tomato sauce, and usually ground
beef. This kind of chili invites the most experimentation because there are no official
or unofficial rules that surround the making of it. To make it taste "right" in most
people's opinions requires the addition of ground dried chile peppers, cumin,
oregano and garlic. Or, if you're in a hurry, just chili powder! Try mixing in sautéed
onions and bell peppers, and some vinegar and molasses to add that certain special
something. Don't like kidney beans? Try black beans! Want to cut down on fat?
Substitute ground turkey for the beef! Don't eat meat? Use Textured Vegetable
Protein (TVP) instead! Play around with your recipe until you find the perfect mix.
White chili is a more recent and increasingly popular invention. It always contains
white beans, and usually turkey or chicken breast and mild green chiles. They seldom
contain chili powder, but often do feature cumin and lime juice. Most white chili
recipes are low in fat and very mild, although there are also some recipes out there
that contain plenty of butter, cream and cayenne pepper!
Don't Forget the Garnish!
Half the fun of a bowl o' chili is the garnish! Set out bowls of shredded cheddar,
Monterey Jack or cotija cheeses; diced red, white or green onion; sour cream; diced
tomatoes; coarsely chopped cilantro leaves; salsa of any type; tortilla chips; chopped
bell peppers; diced green chiles; sliced fresh or pickled jalapenos; sliced olives; or
diced avocado or fresh guacamole. Choose some of your favorites from the list and
let everyone customize their steamy, delicious bowls of chili.
Most people who love chili are very passionate about their own particular recipe, but
it's evident from the multitudes of chili recipes you can find everywhere, and the
countless chili cookoffs that take place every year, all over the world, that the
definitive chili recipe may not exist. Besides, most of the fun is in the cooking, the
tasting, the experimenting, the debating, and in the sharing!
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