Posted on 10/02/2001 12:48:56 PM PDT by Willie Green
Edited on 05/07/2004 7:12:05 PM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]
Making a great bowl of chili is a personal thing. Given its status as fall's greatest comfort food, that's the way it should be.
Several Free Press staffers, in fact, piped up about their chili preferences after sampling this week's recipes. One boasted that his is the best, bar none. He turned coy, though, when quizzed why, offering only that he uses six kinds of meat and lets it simmer all day.
(Excerpt) Read more at freep.com ...
These recipes sound great and I may eventually try a few, but I am going to make the chili my family is used to and loves. The recipe is basic and not exotic...using the basic ingredients in all chili. I make a HUGE pot and freeze individual portions with what is left.
I know that everyone has their own secret ingredients or methods! Three of my "secrets" are 1)Brown the hamburger (preferably ground chuck) to a very, very dark brown. Rinse in a colander in very hot water to rinse off grease. This keeps the chili from having a greasy taste. Because I use a lot of hamburger, I have to brown up about 4 or 5 frying panfuls 2)I take half of this fried hamburger and some HUNTS whole tomatoes and blend them in the blender to a thick consistency...just a few seconds. This really thhickens the sauce or "gravy" and it is a beefy flavor. 3)I crumble a handful or two of Fritoes...the scoop kind...not the original! The scoop Fritoes have a different and better flavor. I then serve a few Fritoes on top of the served chili. (it is the cornbread alternative)
Happy chili cooking!
1. It has no beans, beans are used in Texas chili.
2. It has no tomatoes, tomatoes are used in Taco Bell chili.
3. True chili has beef, pork, onions, squash, garlic, cumin, salt, potatoes, and lots of GREEN chili.
It is the only way to fly.
However I will have to say that I've been humbled in my stance on beans in chili. My wife has made what she calls chili, and as long as I call it a stew we can get along. Once she said she gave in and made it without beans. I admitted it was very good and of course she goaded me into making some comment like "see, you didn't need the beans in it". I was then informed that the beans were still there, just pureed. I just shut up and ate another bowl.
For a bit of revenge, I'm going to tell a (true) story that happened on our visit to the Texas Hill Country this past spring. We were there to see the flowers, the wildlife, and for me to generally expose her to the Texas ambience. One of the animals I had told her about were roadrunners. As we were pulling out of Luchenbach to go to Fredricksburg, she shouted "Look! there's a roadrunner! Two of them! THEY'RE HUGE!!!
I looked up to see a pair of ostriches on a nearby ranch running over the top of a hill. I spewed Shiner Bock all over the windshield.....
Thanks for the idea, I use refried beans to thicken mine.
FOR CHILI CHEFS AND FANCIERS (AND PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN TEXAS - Notes From An Inexperienced Chili Taster Named FRANK:
"Recently I was honored to be selected as an Outstanding Famous Celebrity in Texas, to be a judge at a chili cook-off because no one else wanted to do it.
Also the original person called in sick at the last moment and I happened to be standing there at the judge's table asking directions to the beer wagon when the call came. I was assured by the other two judges that the chili wouldn't be all that spicy, and besides they told me I could have free beer during the tasting, so I accepted this as being one of those burdens you endure when you're an internet writer and therefore known and adored by all."
Here are the scorecards from the event:
Chili # 1: Mike's Maniac Mobster Monster Chili
JUDGE ONE: A little too heavy on tomato. Amusing kick.
JUDGE TWO: Nice, smooth tomato flavor. Very mild.
FRANK: Holy smokes, what is this stuff? You could remove dried paint from your driveway with it. Took me two beers to put the flames out. Hope that's the worst one. These people are crazy.
Chili # 2: Arthur's Afterburner Chili
JUDGE ONE: Smoky (barbecue?) with a hint of pork. Slight Jalapeno tang.
JUDGE TWO: Exciting BBQ flavor, needs more peppers to be taken seriously.
FRANK: Keep this out of reach of children! I'm not sure what I am supposed to taste besides pain. I had to wave off two people who wanted to give me the Heimlich maneuver. Shoved my way to the front of the beer line. The barmaid looks like a professional wrestler after a bad night. She was so irritated over my gagging sounds that the snake tattoo under her eye started to twitch. She has arms like Popeye and a face like Winston Churchill. I will NOT pick a fight with her.
Chili # 3: Fred's Famous Burn Down the Barn Chili
JUDGE ONE: Excellent firehouse chili! Great kick. Needs more beans.
JUDGE TWO: A beanless chili, a bit salty, good use of red peppers.
FRANK: This has got to be a joke. Call the EPA, I've located a ?#&*^%?~?! uranium spill. My nose feels like I have been sneezing Drano.
Everyone knows the routine by now and got out of my way so I could make it to the beerwagon. Barmaid pounded me on the back; now my backbone is in the front part of my chest. She said her friends call her Sally, probably behind her back they call her "Forklift."
Chili# 4: Bubba's Black Magic
JUDGE ONE: Black bean chili with almost no spice. Disappointing.
JUDGE TWO: Hint of lime in the black beans. Good side dish for fish or other mild foods, not much of a chili.
FRANK: I felt something scraping across my tongue, but was unable to taste it. Sally was standing behind me with fresh refills so I wouldn't have to dash over to see her. When she winked at me her snake sort of coiled and uncoiled ...it's kinda cute.
Chili # 5: Linda's Legal Lip Remover
JUDGE ONE: Meaty, strong chili. Cayenne peppers freshly ground adding considerable kick. Very impressive. JUDGE TWO: Chili using shredded beef; could use more tomato. Must admit the cayenne peppers make a strong statement.
FRANK: My ears are ringing and I can no longer focus my eyes. I belched and four people in front of me needed paramedics. The contestant seemed hurt when I told her that her chili had given me brain damage. Sally saved my tongue by pouring beer directly on it from a pitcher. Sort of irritates me that one of the other judges asked me to stop screaming.
Chili # 6: Vera's Very Vegetarian Variety
JUDGE ONE: Thin yet bold vegetarian variety chili. Good balance of spice and peppers.
JUDGE TWO: The best yet. Aggressive use of peppers, onions, and garlic. Superb.
FRANK: My intestines are now a straight pipe filled with gaseous flames. No one seems inclined to stand behind me except Sally. I asked if she wants to go dancing later.
Chili # 7: Susan's Screaming Sensation Chili
JUDGE ONE: A mediocre chili with too much reliance on canned peppers.
JUDGE TWO: Ho Hum, tastes as if the chef threw in canned chili peppers at the last moment. I should note that I am worried about Judge Number 3, he appears to be in a bit of distress.
FRANK: You could put a hand grenade in my mouth and pull the pin and I wouldn't feel it. I've lost the sight in one eye and the world sounds like it is made of rushing water. My clothes are covered with chili which slid unnoticed out of my mouth at some point. Good, at autopsy they'll know what killed me. Go Sally, save yourself before it's too late. Tell our children I'm sorry I was not there to conceive them.
I've decided to stop breathing, it's too painful and I'm not getting any oxygen anyway. If I need air I'll just let it in through the hole in my stomach. Call the X-Files people and tell them I've found a supernova on my tongue. Chili # 8: Mount Saint Helen's Chili
JUDGE ONE: This final entry is a good, balanced chili, neither mild nor hot. Sorry to see that most of it was lost when Judge Number 3 fell and pulled the chili pot on top of himself.
JUDGE TWO: A perfect ending, this is a nice blend chili, safe for all, not too bold but spicy enough to declare its existence.
FRANK: Momma??!!
LOL! I haven't been there in several years, tried to correct that last summer but ran out of time.
My brother and sister-in-law are frequent visitors, and we had hoped to meet them there.
That doesn't count for "The Free State of Luchenbach."
Although for chili I prefer to use my own backyard grown scotch bonnets steeped in vinegar.
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