A number of years ago we were in Casa Grande, Arizona, when the locals were having the annual chili cook-off. Learned a lot about chili that week. For one thing, there are as many different kinds of chili as there are cooks. But real down-home Texas chili "don't have no beans." That's chili con carne. By definition, chili is meat in a red sauce, and they mean it. The meat, by the way, is cubed not ground. Spices, vegetables, everything but the meat, is put in porous bags and suspended in the sauce to prevent anything from getting into the sauce. One parsley sprig in the finished meat sauce and you're disqualified. We tasted chili for a whole day and came away with a couple recipes, a favorite reprinted below. The porous bag is going a little too far for me. I'm not in a competitive mood, so I don't use it. And beans are definitely out. Oh, one other thing. When it comes to hot spices which really burn the mouth and tongue, like jalapenos and such, the best cure to stop the burn is milk. It quickly neutralizes the acids and lets you get back to the hot stuff again without waiting. Be aware that you drink it, you don't put it in the chili.
The traditional way is to eat chili is straight with tortillas, tacos, bread, or crackers. The wife likes to put it over macaroni. Some put it on spaghetti. I guess if you come from the Far East you could put it over rice but I've never seen that in a Chinese restaurant. I don't know what the Amish put it on. But no beans. The instructions say to make it ahead and store it in the refrigerator over night so the flavors will all blend in. It is good right away, so it's your choice. Left-overs are great for breakfast. Oh, one other thing, don't use expensive meat. Leaner is better. It's chili for Pete's sake.
CHILI NO BEANS
1 pound lean beef, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
1 chopped onion
2 chopped garlic cloves
8 ounces tomato sauce
16 ounces diced tomatoes, undrained
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper
Sauté beef in a skillet until just about brown. Pour off grease and reserve. Put meat into large sauce pan. Combine onions and garlic in the skillet and sauté until onions are clear. May add some of the reserved fat, if necessary. Add onion and garlic mixture to meat. Add all other ingredients to meat mixture and stir until well mixed. Cook, covered, on medium to low heat for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. When cool, refrigerate over night. Heat to serve.
Serves 4.
The traditional way is to eat chili is straight with tortillas, tacos, bread, or crackers. The wife likes to put it over macaroni. Some put it on spaghetti. I guess if you come from the Far East you could put it over rice but I've never seen that in a Chinese restaurant. I don't know what the Amish put it on. But no beans. The instructions say to make it ahead and store it in the refrigerator over night so the flavors will all blend in. It is good right away, so it's your choice. Left-overs are great for breakfast. Oh, one other thing, don't use expensive meat. Leaner is better. It's chili for Pete's sake.
CHILI NO BEANS
1 pound lean beef, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
1 chopped onion
2 chopped garlic cloves
8 ounces tomato sauce
16 ounces diced tomatoes, undrained
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper
Sauté beef in a skillet until just about brown. Pour off grease and reserve. Put meat into large sauce pan. Combine onions and garlic in the skillet and sauté until onions are clear. May add some of the reserved fat, if necessary. Add onion and garlic mixture to meat. Add all other ingredients to meat mixture and stir until well mixed. Cook, covered, on medium to low heat for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. When cool, refrigerate over night. Heat to serve.
Serves 4.
Hey, no beans? My wife says that's the best part. She has a great recipe for chili with no meat and several kinds of beans!
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