How's Your Chili Game?

Those beans are going to trigger the entire state of Texas I'll bet!

I’d rather have Velveeta cheese dip on Super Bowl Sunday instead of chili.

R2 I want both! And the Velveeta needs lots of Rotel tomatoes

I make smoky beef and red bean chili with pumpkin seeds.

Yeah, I got beans in my chili. Go fuck yourself Texas!

Are you having guests OP? If so, be prepared for your house to smell really bad about an hour after eating!

You lost me at "choice of cornbread or Fritos."

Well, actually you lost us all when you placed an apostrophe after the "s" in your too-cute homespun. Gurl.

Oh dear.

Can you share your recipe OP?

Not from Texas, but I agree with them, beans have no place in chilli.

I make a soupy vegetarian black bean chilli with cilantro, and a self invented hybrid of Punjabi Chana/Beef Chilli. I can do either one in my sleep after all these decades.

Team chili with beans.

I was going to snark about the homespun corn but I felt kind and sorry for OP. He might be in his 70s and alone with no guests to enjoy his famous chilli and fixins'

1lb. ground beef 85/15

2 cans dark red Kidney beans

1 chopped yellow onion

1/2 c. chopped green bell pepper

2 fresh jalapenos

1 14.5 oz. can fire roasted chopped tomatoes

1 can of Rotel

1 c. spicy V-8

1 6 oz. can low sodium tomato paste

2 cloves of minced garlic

3 tsp. chipotle chili powder

1/2 tsp. cumin

Without beans, it’s not chili, it’s crap. 😊

What is this Rotel shit?

r13 A half-teaspoon of cumin? Why even fucking bother?

Underclass food.

Cumin tastes like ass.

"Fixins'" is as dumb as "delish" or "veggies."

Non-existent, OP. It's something I enjoy but have never made.

Boyfriend always makes a big pot of chili Super Bowl Sunday. I like to add some shredded cheddar to the top and eat with saltines.

Love my Instant Pot chili. Fish sauce, soy sauce, cumin, cocoa powder, and a dash of apple cider vinegar for a unique umami.

I sometimes just get a Wendy's chili and try not to think about them using leftover meat in it

What’s fixin?

I'm from Cincinnati, so you probably don't want to know.

Cincinnati chili = Grecian gunk

R26, It's the only chili I ever knew until I was an adult. And I use my Mom's recipe, and we're not Greek. But I know how the rest of DL regards it.

r22, no chili in your "chili"?

I don't eat beef anymore so I make a 3-bean vegetarian (well actually it's vegan) chilli, which is done in the oven and is always good.

I don't understand why you'd make the guests choose between corn bread OR Fritos, just let people have what they want. I personally like it with grated cheddar and pasta, or jacket potato.

[quote]Cumin tastes like ass.

I don't know if it tastes like ass, but it very definitely [italic]smells[/italic] like ass. And armpits. I only use a little bit of cumin in my chili.

All of this is fart 💨 tornado 🌪

R25, chocolate?

We don't eat that Mexican stuff on Super Bowl Sunday or any other day. We have all -American food like pizza. Yummers!

Chili is for the poors.

OP=Naomi Harper

Good, authentic chili is superb, using only the basic ingredients.

The cutesy additions and subtractions some people insist upon make it ghoulish gunk.

I use a pint of IPA in mine. The dark beer makes all the difference.

My bf makes it so hot that I put a lot of crackers in it and some cheese to dilute it a bit. It's delicious though. He smokes and I sometimes think it affects his tastebuds because he can eat such hot food.

Where did chili get its name if its neither spicy like a chili pepper or from Chile?

I have a friend who makes the best vegetarian chili I've ever had. It's almost shocking that there's no meat in it. The secret? Very finely chopped up eggplant, which gives the chili texture that "springy" meat texture like ground meat. It really works. You could serve it to a die-hard meat eater and they'd never know. In fact, she has many times.

R40 I love my meat (heh) but that sounds very intriguing. Would she be willing to share her recipe/technique?

I just use a packet of French's Chili-O and follow the directions. It's just convenient and the spices are always fresh. I always use dark red kidney beans in it.

"Chile isn't chilly ... as a rule."

I made a nice white chili the other night in the Instapot.

Diced and ground chicken, white bell pepper, white beans, white onion, only green chilies and cilantro, with blue tortillas just for fun.

My husband liked it, but he he's calling it "Klan Chili" now.

r44 There's no such thing as an "Instapot."

Put instapot recipes in the instaicantcooklounge.

R45 = mid-level brand manager/trademark attorney

R32, Yes. I use chocolate (actually cocoa), but that's very much an optional addition. It's the cinnamon and allspice that tend to freak people out. I don't think the cocoa is such a strange ingredient, considering its use in Mexican mole sauces.

I see nothing wrong with a cinnamon stick during the simmering or slow cooking process.

R49 probably also sees nothing wrong with waterboarding.

What about a pinch of nutmeg?

Nutmeg is a running joke at this site.

Here's my Mom's recipe (Cincinnati chili). From an old thread.

2 lbs ground beef (ground chuck is best)

4 medium onions, finely chopped

6 cloves of garlic

Put in a large pot with 1 and a half quarts of water (you don't brown the meat: that's important)

6 bay leaves

2 teaspoons ground black pepper

1 6 ounce can of tomato paste

10 dried red peppers (she eventually switched to arbol chilis).

1 Tablespoon of cinnamon (you may want to add more: my Mom always did once it started cooking: she'd just say, "It's not fragrant enough".

My Mom's recipe calls for 35 allspice berries (in a tea diffuser), but now, it would just be 1/4 teaspoon of allspice

One packet of chili powder = 1/4 cup of chili powder

Optional: a square of unsweetened baker's chocolate, or a spoonful of powdered cocoa: they add a terrific depth of taste. They're not original, of course, but many cooks here in Ohio have learned to add that.

It all needs to simmer at least 4 hours. The aroma will take over your home. You should put the chili in containers in the refrigerator, so you can remove the fat that congeals at the top of the containers. Just don't remove all the fat: as my Mom always said, "That's where the flavor is".

It's normally served as a meat sauce over cooked spaghetti, with a topping of shredded cheese (American or Cheddar style). Chopped onions or beans can be added as extras. Serve with hot sauce (Frank's is traditional, since it originated here).

R51, When I mentioned adding nutmeg to my quiches, I was told I was a demon from the pit of hell. So, I'd advise caution.

Almost every recipe here sounds absolutely disgusting.

They seem perfectly fine to me, so I really don't understand how anyone could think of them as disgusting?

Watch this

That's gonna be an ass ripper!

Cincinnati " chili" is more boiled meat than chili.

Cincinnati "chili" served over fucking vermicelli noodles!

Good God!

A few folks are viciously PRESSED about Cincinnati chili on this site.

[quote]I really don't understand how anyone could think of them as disgusting

Cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg [italic]in chili[/italic]? Make whatever you want, but with all those extra flavors, do not call it chili.

Last night I just finished the last of my Martha Stewart Vegetarian Chili.

"A few folks are viciously PRESSED about Cincinnati chili on this site."

Then don't call your liquid abortion " chili."

Too big of pieces of meat in that Texas chili. I'd rather have beans in it.

[quote]When I mentioned adding nutmeg to my quiches, I was told I was a demon from the pit of hell.

Just a tiny bit of nutmeg mixed into an egg-and-cheese custard makes sense, r53. I add a little nutmeg to my quiche, too. But chili? No. Just no.

I'm the Cincinnati guy. I like nutmeg, but NOT in chili! I use nutmeg in quiche, with mushrooms, and some cheesy oasta dishes, but a little bit of nutmeg goes a long way.

R22 Goddamn that sounds just like the shitty sewage sludge! None of your fucking chili for me.

I never understood the appeal of Cincinnati chili either. I lived near a Skyline Chili restaurant in Mayfield Heights, OH - and some of my coworkers were bonkers about this stuff when we would all go out to lunch together. It has the texture of canned cat food mixed with water to thin it out, and tastes like you put a packet of mulled wine spice mix in it. It's also quite bland, no heat.

Didn't we once determine that chili is a middle class food at best?

R52, I wasn't aware of that, but that's hilarious. To me it sounds like such a "frau-y" ingredient. It's redundant banter on Food Network shows, and cooking videos on Youtube to add "freshly ground nutmeg", and then proclaim how important it is. I immediately see someone furiously grating away a nutmeg seed on a microplane while filming a cooking video, and it's one of their "talking points".

Obama's chili recipe

Bell pepper adds nothing to chili. It cooks down to mush and imparts very little flavor to the finished chili.

R70 : a frau wouldn't use individual herbs or spices, she would use a pre mixed blend. Fraus cant cook like some men and women can.

I like to use dried chipotle chillies to make chili. I just rip the stem off and deseed then throw the rest in. It will reconstitute and break up while the chili simmers.

I've actually improvised and made chili without a recipe: just lentils, onions, garlic, and the usual range of seasonings. You just have to keep tasting (and smelling) until the flavors all come together into something cohesive. Lentils are very cheap and easy to cook, so I always keep them on hand.

I love chili but haaate cooking. Trader Joe's now carries ready-made Angus chili in their refrigerated food section and it's not half bad for someone who genuinely hates cooking. It does have red kidney beans.

I top it with melted Parmesan/Romano/Asiago cheese and diced scallions, with a side of toasted sour dough bread.

But no nutmeg near my chili, no way.

Why do people have Fritos with chili and not any other kind of corn chip?

What are the other kinds?

Like non Frito-brand corn chips. Everyone seems to recommend Fritos.

You can't make a Frito pie without Fritos!

I make a lentil chili. It's the Whole Foods recipe which provides a bland base (tomatoes, onion, bell pepper, garlic chili). I double the onions, the red pepper, the garlic and add dry mustard, Mexican oregano, and cumin, using Ancho chili and more than they recommend. The result is really complex, layered flavor.

Chili goes well over rice which also takes the edge off a hot chili better than a cold drink.

Frito pie is a thing of wonder and a joy to behold!!!

r80 that looks more like a walking taco

This looks like a good recipe. I haven't made it myself, but I've employed these techniques (cubes of chuck instead of ground meat; toasting whole chiles) before to great success. If I wanted to go to a bit of trouble, I'd cut this recipe down to what would fit in a 6-quart pot, the largest I own. I may do just that, though not for a sportsball game.

Hey guys, BigTex here. My chili is made with stew meat, never hamburger. I take dried chilis, soak them, then make a paste. For liquid I use dark beer, some coffee and beef broth. Never water. Some chopped onions and cheese on top and served with cornbread. No beans or tomatos EVAH!

and a little of grated Mexican chocolate gives it a another bit of complexity.

If you don't feel like cooking a pot of chili from scratch, I find Wolf® brand to be useful in a pinch. (No beans.)

I add some smoked salt and habanero dust to mine to make it palatable. Saltines on the side.

I find anything canned gross except tuna.

[quote]Serve with hot sauce. Frank's is traditional

I put that shit on everything!

You can make an amazing Frito Pie in your Instant Pot!

I'm assuming you don't put the Fritos in the Instant Pot!

I love the tastes of chili and even one a contest once. Butt every time I eat it I shit my guts out for a week!

Turkey sweet potato chili

My husband makes a basic chili in a crockpot with one special ingredient: one large can of pineapple chunks. He puts the juice from the can in as well. So delicious.

Must have red beans.

Must be a little sweet and served with Fritos. Has to be Fritos. I use it later to make taco salads.

I'm a 5th-generation Texan, and I grew up eating big fat kidney beans in my chili, and I still love beans in my chili.

While it's true that the original chile con carne had no beans, the idea that beans are "wrong" in Texas chili is insane.

I make a great chili. And to me, CHILI HAS BEANS, unless it's hotdog chili. No beans? Then it's hotdog dressing. I love dark red kidney beans, black beans, and garbanzos in my chili.

Anyway, cornbread is wonderful, and I really like Tostitos Touch Of Lime chips occasionally, as well.

Thankfully, I never had a chili-related experience like Iola.

It starts the clip.

Beans, yes, but kidney beans, no.

I want a recipe for chilli with no beans

Maybe you'll find one somewhere.

FIXINS????

My friend's dad used to make chili a lot. The meat was pretty much boiled in that he didn't brown it first. IIRC, he threw in a bunch of wet ingredients (canned tomatoes), then put the hamburger on top of that, letting the hamburger dissolve and cook. Ugh! Why would you do that!

R81 is so proud of her non-chili chili with tiny pulses overwhelmed in a glop by mushed-together rice and "more seasoning than the recipe calls for, because I'm such a lover of flavor."

You can almost smell the malarkey in her "fusion" spatter-farts.

r81's chili or that Cincinnati gunk?

Hard to decide which is more dreckier.

Add some mole or 100% cacao.

Chili and football! I'm feeling so manly!

I like my chili, but almost no one else would, but I fix it for only me so who cares.

I will be going to R29’s house! What shall I bring?

You guys have ruined football for me.

R29 Where I live, that's called a bean casserole.

Grandma used to make a delicious one called Calico Bean Casserole with four different beans.

We put our chili (with beans and all) over spaghetti. Some diced onion, shredded cheddar and the right wheat roll, and it’s my favorite comfort meal.

Chili poured over spaghetti?! The mind boggles, the senses reel.

Why not just pour it over mashed potatoes .. or breakfast cereal? Boiled cabbage maybe?

For people who make chili a lot, I recommend the Frontier brand of chili powders. You can get them from Frontier (online), Amazon, and at stores that sell spices in bulk. Those little bottles of chili powder can be expensive.

Having gone vegetarian this year, I need to totally change up my Chili game! And not in the usual ways, I really dislike those recipes where people add corn and peppers and olives and shit, extra vegetables just don't belong in chilli.

Any suggestions? I've started by getting some cans of "chili beans" and a pound of Impossible ground meat substitute, I think I'll start there, but better suggestions for vegetarian chilli with beans are welcome, now that the weather is cold and I want hot and hearty food again.

R116, I use black beans (canned, Bush's brand) and mushrooms. I probably would avoid the "chili beans" (I think those are seasoned pinto beans). I don't use any meat substitute. IMO, it's not necessary. Most people, including meat eaters, like my chili.

If I'm doing a more Louisiana type I use red beans.Otherwise it's just beef, onions, garlic, a couple tomatillos, charred Serrano peppers, a few dried cayennes, a little stock and the usual spices. No odd tastes. I'll add a small amount of red wine early after browning the meat. Usually it's chuck. I'll also brown some additional ground chuck for added texture. If for some reason I don't have my own beef or veal stock I'll use commercial chicken stock instead - can't stand the canned/sharp taste of prepared beef stock. I'll also sneak in a couple tomatoes and a couple of tablespoons of tomato paste but I'll deny I did it. If it's too thin I'll work in a little roux. And you can't be afraid of salt or you'll end up with one of the watered-down wimp veg. concoctions here that people for some reason are calling "chili."

There's nothing wrong with calling what you make "spicy bean stew," since that's what it is.

I make my chili with several types of beans, ground pork, onions, tomatoes, chiles and spices. This might sound odd to some people, but I first cook it 3/4 of the time in a stock pot and then then transfer it to a deep casserole/baking dish. I pour cornbread batter on top of it and bake it together until the cornbread forms a tasty, golden dome. Great for cold winters.

Vegetarian (and mostly vegan) here too, R116. The chilli in this recipe is delicious, and has the density and ‘weight’ of a meat chilli, so it doesn’t taste as if it’s a joyless imitation of a non-vegetarian dish.

Mexican chocolate has cinnamon in to and I have a difficult time finding it here so I use a good quality chocolate and add a sprinkle of cinnamon.

I also sometimes make pork chili. I roast a pork butt the day before until it falls apart. I use that for the meat plus some of the broth.

I use a pablano chili instead of green bell pepper as it has more flavor. for spices I use ground ancho and paquin chilis and some cumin, though I don't like a strong cumin flavor so I go light on it. I also add some Mexican oregano which is different than the Italian kind.

And I like beans in my chili so I use pinto beans.

Have you tried using dried cum? It’s great for those who don’t like a strong flavor. Black beans are better than pinto.

Thanks R120! Gonna try that.