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What Is Chili?

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    Posted: 04 June 2012 at 04:14
What, exactly, is chili?
 
We all think we know, but do we, really? ChrisBelgium's thread on his first attempt indicates that we all know what chili is not. We agree that his first attempt, while tasty sounding, is not chili. And Aspen Hill's last post fits in the same catagory. Despite her categoric statements about what chili must include, I would not consider her recipe chili.
 
Most of us could post recipes for this iconic American dish. And they would, of course, all be different. But there would be a common theme running through them as well---meat, heat, onions, and spices.
 
But that isn't enough, because it could apply to far to many non-chili concoctions.
 
So, other than extensional definitions, does anyone really know what chili is? If you had to describe it, without a recipe, to the mythical man from Mars, how would you do so?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Rod Franklin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 June 2012 at 07:02
"Well Mr. Spaceman, Sir, in it's origins Chili is a red meat stew, made red by being spiced heavily with chile peppers.  While still called chili, it now takes many forms, some quite unrecognizable from it's origins, but in all forms it is still a rather liquid dish. I hope that answered your question ...I really have to be going... Excuse me."

It's obvious to me anyway, by its name that it was originally all about the peppers. I believe its origins would be that it's chopped or ground red meat, seasoned heavily with dried powdered chiles, lots of onions and salt to taste. All boiled in just enough water to make a thick stew. That simple.

How did meat get spiced so? Chiles, and of course salt can be preservatives. Packing all the scraps of meat left over from butchering in ground dried chiles and salt might preserve that meat for quite some time without refrigeration. What's a quick way to turn it into a meal? Well, just boil it with some onions and serve it with tortillas of course!

As far as your comment about other things being similar, I would say anyone might make a good chili from bulk Chorizo. Just put it in a pot with onions and a little water and boil it a while. Maybe chorizo is just the seasoned meat scraps as mentioned above packed into casings and smoked as a preservative method. Sounds plausible to me.

  
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TasunkaWitko Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 June 2012 at 07:25
good idea for a thread, brook -
 
to me, this visitor from mars can only know what chili is by spending some time in west texas, eastern new mexico, southern colorado - that magical and historical playground of coronado, the comanche, goodnight and loving; in fact, since this martian is hypothetical, i'll go ahead and contend that he must also be able to travel in time, so that he can visit this region during the latter half of the 19th century - chili was born there; or, if not born there, it at least came into its own there, and became what it is.
 
 
it's a child of two parents: texas and mexico ~ and a product of two important factors unique to the american experience. the first being the long cattle drives on a dusty trail on the llano estacado, among the mesquite flats or on the high plains, or maybe in the cottonwoods along the banks of a silty trickle of a river. somewhere along these trails, some steer would have died along the way, or a heifer may have stepped in a hole, broken her leg and had to be put down - instant, fresh meat that needed to be consumed.
 
 
the second factor would have been some mexican cook who took this meat and turned it into something that was made from the dried or portable ingredients on the chuckwagon, including onions, herbs and spices - maybe some garlic - making a stew that was familiar to his texan colleagues whilst also adding a little bit of his own colourful heritage into the mix. availibilty of ingredients, through stored dry goods on the chuckwagon, or perhaps a supply stop at some fort along the way, would have determined the specific ingredients; but the heart of the dish was of course beef, with onion, dried chiles and maybe a few herbs and spices - i'd like to think that somehow, tomato was involved as well, but that is probably just wishful thinking, barring some fortuitous trade for fresh ingredients in some hamlet along the trail.
 
this chili would have simmered alongside a separate pot of beans, which are very portable in dried form, and of course a pot of coffee was nearby; finally, i am sure a dutch oven full of freshly-baked sourdough biscuits would have been involved as well, to sop up the juices - or perhaps drizzled with honey as a dessert - great food for the trail, and once again a shining example of using what's available to create good, filling, satisfying food after a long day's work.
 
 
but it wasn't simply some one-time, chance meeting of these factors, to be set in stone at that moment and preserved rigidly as a famous chef's legacy or a protected national dish; chili in some form must have existed before these events took place and came about in slightly-varied forms on many trails. having said that, along these trails, chili became interwoven with the american experience, as much a legend of the west as the cowboy or the texas longhorn.
 
i don't have a "chilipedia" sitting right here, but i bet that's close to the origins and the essence of chili, and to me, that's what it is ~
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TasunkaWitko Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 June 2012 at 09:12
i should note that no one should feel put out by this debate - we bat things around here for discussion; it's just what we do ~ i think brook was saying that chili is different things to everyone and everyone has definite ideas about what it is. but when you strip it down to its common denominators, what is it?
 
my description above is from my own point of view - as an historian, i tend to look at origins of something, including the food i cook, and try to use that as a base. but my take on it is only the beginning of the story, not the end, a stripped-down, no frills sketch of a dish that came from a need to have portable ingredients on a hot, dusty trail after a long day of herding cattle to some destination far to the north. i am sure, even positive, that herbs such as cilantro would have been used by the mexican cooks who developed chili, it was surely available to them in dried form, and may have been acquired fresh at a stop along the trail, as well - same with tomatoes in some form, which i believe are essential to chili but may not have been in the "original" dish. in my scenario, there probably wouldn't have been chickens around on the trail, but in some sleepy town on the tex/mex border, there would have been chickens (much more available than beef among the mexican population) in the front yard - and tomatoes from a garden, as well - and they would have gone into the chili.
 
the bottom line, though, is that chili has become so many good and comforting things, that regardless of its origins, it's going to be many different things to many people, based on background, preferences, regional quirks and all sorts of factors - and all of them are good things. chili is a work of art, created on a canvas of some kind of meat, with onions, chiles, herbs and spices, maybe tomates, maybe beans - beyond that, the COLOURS that are applied are up to the artist/cook!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Hoser Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 June 2012 at 03:33
I think Hawgheaven over at the other forum came up with the best answer in this bit of verse:

ChiliLOL

a mutant stew
that makes me poo
can peel the paint off the walls
this evil goo
sometimes hard to chew
burns hair off the back of my balls
LOL
Go ahead...play with your food!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AK1 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 June 2012 at 05:11
Here's an interesting history of Chili;
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote HistoricFoodie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 June 2012 at 17:13

As the Bard never said, Google is your friend.  So  I did a search for definitions of chili. Result: As I stated at the beginning of this thread, everybody knows what chili is, but nobody can actually define it in a meaningful way. It’s sort of like salad in that regard.

For those who compete, the ICS (International Chili Society) has a list of rules and regulations for cooks at the World’s Championship, State, Regional and District Cookoffs. You’d think they’d provide some insights. But, in reality, they’re just as vague as anything we’ve said here:

1. Traditional Red Chili is defined by the International Chili Society as any kind of meat or combination of meats,cooked with red chili peppers, various spices and other ingredients, with the exception of BEANS and PASTA which are strictly forbidden.

2. Chili Verde is defined by the International Chili Society as any kind of meat or combination of meats, cooked with green chili peppers, various spices and other ingredients, with the exception of BEANS and PASTA which are strictly forbidden.

Anyone interested in all the rules can find them here.

The following “definition,” from About.com, is pretty much how all the identifiers I’ve found are worded:

 

Definition: Chili is a popular dish of beef stewed with seasoning and chile peppers. Although chili -- or chili con carne -- probably originated in Texas, variations are cooked and enjoyed throughout United States. Some variations on the traditional Texas chili include chili with beans and other types of meat.

Pronunciation: CHIHL-ee • (noun)

Also Known As: Chili con carne, chili con carne with beans, bowl of red.

One site stresses that only “mature” meats are used in chili. I have no idea quite what that means. Another adds to its definition that onions are almost always included, but garlic is rare.

Almost universally, chili is identified as a stew, and one site actually differentiates it from soup by the amount of liquid used.

So, at base, all we can say is that chili is a stew which includes meat, heat, onions, spices, plus whatever your little ol’ heart desires.

Which still leaves the open question: How far do you follow your heart’s desire and still have chili? When does the choice of ingredients take the dish to the point where regular chili eaters, in all it’s variations, no longer recognize it as such.

That takes us back to the beginning, where only an extensional definition will do. You make two dishes for the man from Mars. One of them is chili, the other isn’t. That, I believe, is about the best we can do.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote ChrisFlanders Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 June 2012 at 04:42
I found this great article on chili con carne and I thought it was interesting enough to copy it entirely to this post. It's historical facts followed by a recipe written by the author, all well worth to read. Source of this article; http://www.texasescapes.com/CFEckhardt/National-Dish-of-Texas-Chili-Con-Carne-Recipe.htm

The National Dish of Texas

by C. F. Eckhardt

Chili con carne is the national dish of Texas. It was invented in Texas by Texas natives-literally-and it's made right only in Texas.

Chili was born in San Antonio in the mid-18th Century. Christianized Indians at the missions and private soldiers at Presidio San Antonio de Bejár didn't get the best cuts of meat. Those went to the presidial officers and the priests and 'puros españoles' in the hamlet of San Fernando de Bejár that was growing up around the presidio and closer missions. What the 'po' folks' got was, mostly, poor doe and old goat. Poor doe is an old, tough deer-female-and her meat is tough as a boot. Meat from old goats is not only tough, but it tastes terrible. Something had to be done both to tenderize the meat and to kill the taste.

The solution was to stew the meat with spices until it was tenderized and tasted only of the spices, their taste completely masking any taste the meat itself might have. Oregano, garlic, the native chiles that grew wild in the area, cumin, and perhaps a dozen other spices were used to kill the taste of meat from an old goat. Stewing the meat for hours on end tenderized it.

Chili, as it is called today is properly chiles con carne-peppers with meat. Notice there is no mention of frijoles-beans here, nor of spaghetti, nor of macaroni, nor of any of the many things outsiders have added to chili. A proper bowl of chili is meat and the spices necessary to turn it into chili, nothing more.

The first commercial bowls of chili ever sold were sold on the streets of downtown San Antonio, beginning in the early 1880s. San Antonio's Chili Queens were a fixture in downtown until 1943, when health concerns-mainly on the part of Army medical personnel-shut them down.

A Chili Queen was a young, attractive Hispanic girl who served as the draw. There was a cast-iron pot of chili on a bed of coals and sand in the back of a mule drawn wagon or later Model T truck, and a supply of bowls and spoons. For a nickel or later a dime, you could buy a bowl of chili, which would be ladled out of the open-top pot into a crockery bowl and handed to you by the Chili Queen. There was, admittedly, little in the way of sanitation in Chili Queen chili. Other towns, most notably Austin and Athens, had tamale vendors, but only San Antonio seems to have had the Chili Queens.

There is very little similarity between the chili made by the mission Indians and Chili Queens and what is served as 'chili con carne' by restaurants that serve true chili. The best chili, however, is home made. This is how to make it.

First, start with good meat. Forget hamburger, ground round, or even 'chili grind.' Buy a couple of pounds of beef stew meat. Trim the fat and sinew off the stew meat and cut it into chunks about the size of the end of a large man's thumb. This is the carne-the meat. From here on you turn it into chiles con carne-peppers with meat.

Put just enough olive oil-or lard if you choose-into a heavy skillet so that you'll coat the bottom of the skillet. Tear up an ancho pepper-the big, dry, dark red one-and add the skin but not the seeds to the pan. Then take about half a tablespoon of whole comino-cumin seeds-not ground cumin, and crush them by rubbing them between your hands over the skillet, letting the broken and crushed seeds fall into the skillet. Turn on medium heat beneath the skillet and add the meat, stirring and turning it to get all parts of it into the oil you've seasoned with ancho pepper skin and crushed comino.

Into a large cast iron pot-or a slow cooker, they work too-put about 4 ounces of prepared chili powder-Bolner's, of San Antonio, is best, Gebhardt's a close second, and brand-name chili powders go downhill from there. Add another torn-up ancho-skin only-and another tablespoon or so of crushed comino. Chop a medium onion and put it in the pot. You can add a couple of cloves of crushed garlic if you choose, an extra teaspoon or so of oregano. The beauty of chili is it's an individual's dish, and as long as the very basics are adhered to, it's possible to add spices to individual tastes.

Last comes the liquid. Some people use a can of tomato sauce, some a couple of small cans of tomato paste and additional liquid, some diced tomatoes. My personal preference is for RoTel diced tomatoes with green chiles, but not the kind with added cilantro and lime juice. One of the 10oz cans is perfect, though more liquid will be needed.

Now you decide how hot your chili's going to be. The RoTel tomatoes will give it a base of chemical heat, and that may be enough for some people. The idea is to make the chili hot enough that you feel the heat about halfway down your esophagus, but it doesn't burn your mouth. If it burns your mouth, you've overdone it. In my chili, I add-sparingly-dried chiles pequeños or chilipitines, as they are often called. A half-dozen or so, broken and added to the ingredients, is about right. If you don't have chilipitines growing in your yard and you can't find the dried ones on the grocery shelf, about half a teaspoon of cayenne pepper will be enough.

Once the meat is brown on all sides, add it to the pot or cooker. Check to see how thick the mix is once you've stirred it. A large spoon should stand at first, then slowly topple if it's thick enough. If it's too thick and the spoon doesn't topple, add about half a tomato can of either water or beer. Cover the pot or slow cooker and put the on a back burner with a very low heat under it or turn the slow cooker to low. You'll have to watch the pot fairly closely over the next four or five hours, but if you're using a slow cooker just forget about it for about 12 hours. The slow cooker's not going to burn the stuff, but if enough liquid escapes the cast-iron pot over a fire or electric element, the stuff inside will burn. If, after you remove the chili from the fire, it seems a little thin, there's a right way and a wrong way to thicken it. The right way is to take masa-either corn or harina (wheat), though masa de maize works best-add enough water to it to make a thick but flowable mixture, and add that to the chili, stirring it in thoroughly. Then put the chili back on the heat for another half hour or so.

OK. It's twelve hours later and you've turned off the slow cooker. Now it's time to eat the chili, right? WRONG! This is where all chili-cookoff chili and 99 out of every hundred pots of home-made chili are not exactly ruined, but are denied the opportunity to taste as good as they can taste. Don't eat that chili yet! Let the iron pot or slow-cooker liner cool, then put it in the refrigerator for about 24 hours. This sets the spices and allows the full flavor of the chili to develop. Then reheat it and serve it. The only additions to the chili are the traditional one-saltine crackers, crumbled and stirred in-and a non-traditional but popular one. That's Fritos corn chips, crumbled and stirred in.

Now-where did the idea of putting beans in chili get started? Probably during the First World War. There were 'meatless' days-usually Tuesdays-during WW I, and somehow the fact that people at home weren't eating meat was supposed to help the war effort. Beans are, sometimes, a mediocre substitute for meat. It's entirely possible that, even in San Antonio, when meat was in short supply, pinto beans were substituted for meat in a chili-seasoned dish, or even that the meat supply for the chili was stretched by adding beans. However, this was only a temporary, stopgap measure until meat was again available. It is possible that some servicemen from the North got hold of chili that had its meat supply 'stretched' with beans and thought that was the way chili was supposed to be made. This would certainly have taken the idea of chili with beans in it to the North, from which it would return to Texas many years later.

What about the other 'additives'-in particular macaroni and spaghetti? These seem to be strictly a Yankee invention. It's pretty much certain that the inventors of chili, the mission Indians and poor soldiers of the presidio, had no idea what either was. During the Chili Queen period macaroni was mostly 'macaroni and cheese,' served in homes. Spaghetti was found only in Italian restaurants, of which there weren't a lot in Texas in the period. Northern-born soldiers, having served in San Antonio and at other South Texas bases often fell in love with chili. It's by no means impossible that they took ingredients for chili back home, gave them to Mama Italiana, and said "Can you make stuff with this?" Mama Italiana, being Mama Italiana, is going to add either spaghetti or macaroni to the concoction, both to stretch the meat supply and because spaghetti and macaroni were and are staples in Italian homes. It wouldn't be a far step from that for the same stuff to show up in Papa Italiano's corner café, at which point Northerners are going to get the idea that chili is supposed to have macaroni or spaghetti in it.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TasunkaWitko Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 June 2012 at 11:42
just for the heck of it, i posed exactly the same question at a couple of other forums.
 
here are the more intersesting replies:
 
Quote A: A mysterious spicy stew-like substance containing meat and/or beans that makes my wife fear bed time.

References: Dutch oven
 
Quote Some of the best chili I have ever had was at Casa Rio on the Riverwalk in San Antonio.  The restaurant opened in 1946 and has been a staple there ever since.  If and or when the martians do show themselves to us regular folk, I would take them to San Antonio to Casa Rio. 
 
Quote I don't believe there is actually any such dish as "chili." Well, at least in the sense of a particular, specific, recognizable recipe and its result. But having said that, I know chili when I see/taste it and I make it myself, in several different forms.

I'm...inclined to believe it originated, in one form or another, much, much earlier than American trail drives. I have no idea whether that origin lies with Aztecs or the Anisazi, or with some other, perhaps unknown people.

I believe it has always been a "people's food" and as such would have been something of a catch-all from the get-go. Whattayagot? Put in in the pot. as long as it's got chile (peppers) in one form or another. I use a lot of ancho powder and whole anchos in my kitchen, and various other peppers, too. But I have also added corn and even water chestnuts and cocoa powder. No one can tell me that the Anasazi did NOT make something like chili, or that they did NOT use corn and beans in it. No water chestnuts, I'm pretty sure! They would have used venison no doubt. Me, too, along with bear, pork, elk, turkey, rabbit, and squirrel.

Chili is almost the only food I actually CRAVE. When I've been in Europe for a while the first food I want when I get home is a really good, chile-laden chili. Wherever it may have originated, it is the essential American food IMO....Every Texan I ever met thinks chili originated THERE? Is this taught in grade school or something?
 
Quote Originaly "chili con carne", or chili with meat. When Texas was Norte Mexico, cattle roamed pretty freely across South Texas, one of the few times and places in those days meat was cheap. Chilis and other spices were added to free range beef...those cattle were not exactly corn fed Angus, you know. Much of the meat was stewed, and chili more or less originated that way.  Many say South Texas in general, and San Antonio in particular, is the original home of chili con carne.

http://www.countryworldnews.com/news/texas-trails/1023-texas-trails-chili-is-a-texas-thing.html

1909:
* City Ordinance removes the Chili Queens from Alamo Plaza and restricts them to the market areas west of San Pedro Creek.

(From SAPD's website, history of SAPD)

http://www.kitchensisters.org/hktexas/hk_texas_talkon_felix_almaraz.htm

http://www.uiw.edu/sanantonio/jenningschiliqueens.html

http://www.lsjunction.com/facts/milplaza.htm
 
Quote
I got a rare disease when I was 18ish months. Almost died, pics in medical books, the whole 9 yards. The doctors let my parents take me home from the hospital to die basically. My mom BABIED me & tried to feed me baby food but I refused to eat anything at all for weeks. My dad was eating tamales & chili. I hadn't eaten food in a couple weeks (IV only). I snuck out of bed & walked up to my dad & asked for a tamale. 10-15 min later my mom walked back in to find me sitting w/my dad on the sofa eating tamales & dipping them in chili. I thought she was going to murder him! He was so proud & happy I was eating. She was so mad & scared.

According to my family tamales & chili saved my life! To this day they're 1 of my absolute fav foods!
 
Quote chili's, cumin , salt, meat. garlic, oregano,onion is optional.
 
Quote There certainly are a zillion variations, I like them all.  Texas Red, chile verde, beans and burger, my chicken habanaro, black beans and lamb.  But I agree that the classic, purest form involves meat, chilis, onions, maybe garlic and some herbs and seasonings.  No beans, no tomatoes, maybe on the side, certainly biscuits, tortillas or perhaps cornbread at hand.  Yum.
 
and, my favourite:
 
Quote According to the USDA and the FDA this is the Standard of Identity for Chili:
 
"Chili" shall contain not less than 40 percent of meat
computed on the weight of the fresh meat. Mechanically Separated
(Species) may be used in accordance with Sec. 319.6. Head meat, cheek
meat, and heart meat exclusive of the heart cap may be used to the
extent of 25 percent of the meat ingredients under specific declaration
on the label. The mixture may contain binders and extenders as provided
in Sec. 318.7(c)(4) of this subchapter. 

It may not be pretty but that is what our Govt will allow manufacturers get away with when selling "Chili" on the store shelf.

leave it to the government to take all the romance and mystique out of an iconic american tradition.....
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AK1 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 June 2012 at 12:34
I think basically, we have whittled it down to; Chili is a thick stew made with meat & chili peppers.

Honestly, I believe Chili is one of those foods that really does defy definition. When you have it, you know you've had chili. There is something in the combination of ingredients, preparation, and finally taste & texture(mouthfeel?) that tells you, yes that is chili.


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TasunkaWitko Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 June 2012 at 12:47
for some good information, here's a great reply that i got today from "garth beaumont" at cheftalk.com
 
Quote Bufallo.JPG

Here are some of my chili notes and believe me I know it varies by region.  It's all good ~

Through the years many well meaning folks have tried their level best to define Texas Chili.During the heyday of chili cooking competitions, CASI (Chili Appreciation Society International) required contestants to create a stew of meat and gravy only. Fillers would disqualify you. Some so called purist would be outright mean about the whole bean and chili debate. Those same folks would be the first to open a can of tomato paste or tear into a pre-packaged commercial chili powder. I mean if you are going to claim to know Texas chili then you should know about chili peppers! Right? To this Texan, chili is a stew with a hearty meat and gravy. If you actually read the labels of some of the most popular brands of commercial chili powder they do not even mention the type of chili peppers in the pre-packaged mix. Most of the pre-packaged chili powders have loads of salt and most have MSG and anti-caking agents like sodium aluminosilicate. Check it out for yourself. The sodium levels in pre-packaged powders and spices are off the charts! Texas style chili can be a healthful meal. One thing is for sure, scratch made Texas style chili is labor intensive. It’s a labor of love and nothing good comes easy.

I have heard many stories about the invention of Texas Chili. Many folks want to lay claim to the origin. Texas chili is an easy to prepare stew with indigenous ingredients and spices. Chili peppers, Comino (cumin) and cilantro bolita (coriander) have been part of the Meso-American culture for 1000’s of years. So, it would not be a stretch of the imagination to believe a cook, probably

peppers1.JPG

Mexican or Mayan, created a meat stew spiced with local peppers and rich with the flavor of Comino (cumin), flavors indigenous to Texas and Mexico.

The word chili pepper can be referring to many varieties of peppers. I have been experimenting with many of the chili peppers I can buy here in Southeast Texas. Guajillo, ancho, arbol, jalapeno, Anaheim and piquin are all varieties of whole dried peppers readily available. The fact is you just have to try them to know what you like.  I really like the arbol and Fresno peppers for my chili. 

Most commercial chili powders do not even tell you the type of chili peppers they are using. I have tried most popular brands and they do a wonderful job, but unknown ingredients make you dependent on their particular brand to recreate a flavor. Drying chili peppers out in the oven is very cheap and easy. Pulverizing peppers in a blender is a breeze. Lightly roasting the whole coriander and Comino seeds in a black iron skillet is taking it to the next level. The smell of lightly roasted Comino seeds is excellent. After I roast the seeds I turn them to powder in a spice mill.

Because I wanted to create a Texas style chili without using any commercial ingredients I decided to use fresh tomatoes. I blanched and peeled 10 beautiful tomatoes and then I did a fine chop on them before adding them to the pot. In the past I always opened a can of Hunt’s or the like and never thought twice. The amount of sodium used in one small can of Hunt’s tomato paste should be against the law! I mean fast and easy used to be the way I rolled. To this day, the big winners at the 2 big chili cook-offs in Terlingua, Texas, use mostly commercial ingredients and pre-packaged foods. I wanted healthy and flavorful and you will not find that with pre-packaged ingredients.

The meat you choose is what chili is all about. The fact is any meat would make good chili. Back 25 years ago the elite on the chili circuit used mock chuck tenders. Even back then they were very expensive. The idea was to partially freeze the meat and then cube with a knife so you would have nice sharp edges on your cubes. Recently, I started using buffalo sirloin. Buffalo holds its texture and is very healthful and delicious. I have always used a pork sausage in my chili. In the past, I have defaulted to a particular brand. Now, I make my own pork breakfast sausage. 3 pounds of buffalo and 1 pound of pork sausage works great.

Chili is only as good as its gravy. Years ago, I would use V8 juice and beef bouillon to help create a very fast and easily prepared gravy. I would also use Hunts tomato paste and pre-packaged chili powder. The sodium in all of these pre-package ingredients is deadly high. Now, I use my own beef stock for my gravy. This last batch of beef stock simmered for 25 hours and had a beautiful bronze color. The flavor and vitamins a good, thick beef stock will add to your chili makes the dish. The bottom line is chili is great food and can be a super food if you take the time and effort to use wholesome ingredients.

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