Chili Recipes

When Its Cold Outside - Its Chili
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Is there such a thing as "the original Texas chili?" The history of chili is very unclear about this.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal live. John 3:16 (NIV)

There is a recipe that is at least traceable to a cattle range cook, or perhaps it was from the combined offerings of several old cowboys straddled up to a Texas bar. Nobody will swear that this is the first true Texas chili recipe, but most say it seems pretty close. Notice ...no beans.

Chili con Carne Recipe
An "Original" Chili Recipe

Cut up as much meat as you think you will need (any kind will do, but beef is probably best) in pieces about the size of a pecan

Put it in a pot, along with some suet (fat) enough so as the meat won't stick to the sides of the pot

Cook it with about the same amount of wild onions, garlic, oregano, and chiles as you have got meat

Put in some salt

Stir it from time to time and cook it until the meat is as tender as you think it's going to get

Some chili recipes today are rather "tame" or mild because that is the way some people like it. But the history of chili is pretty clear that there never was anything really mild about chili and there was a very good reason.

Think about it. Even if chili did not originate in Texas, the cattle drives and range cooks certainly helped popularize it.

On the trail, the cook used what meat he had available. If if wasn't fresh-killed beef or buffalo or deer then it was likely jackrabbit or rattlesnake. The range cook certainly feared his own lynching if he tried to feed the cow hands freshly killed beef or buffalo without aging the meat. Out of necessity he had to attempt to disguise the meat's flavor and for this he used what he had on hand: onions, garlic, salt and chile peppers. The range cook also knew that spices helped keep the meat from spoiling. Chili became the meal of the day. And the term "Chili con Carne" is Spanish for "peppers and meat." (See, no beans.)

Some food experts and historians say that San Antonio should be given credit for popularizing chili because it was there that women called "Chili Queens" occupied parts of the Military Plaza and sold their highly seasoned stews called "chili" from small carts. Although these ladies sold chili from carts for many years, it became very popular by 1880. In fact the plaza became known as "La Plaza del Chile con Carne."

And it was then that the "Queens" began to refine and add sophistication to the dish they were selling. They brought it somewhere near todays stage because each one was constantly striving to improve her chili recipe, simply to attract more customers than any of the competition. The desire to cook up the best bowl of chili in the world is at least that old. Apparently chili cookoffs were born.

Here is an example of a Chili Queen's recipe: (Again, no beans)
Chili Queen's Recipe
Original San Antonio Chili

Ingredients:

2 pounds beef shoulder, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 pound pork shoulder, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1/2 cup suet (fat from meat, 1/4 cup beef fat, 1/4 cup pork fat)

3 medium-sized onions, chopped

6 garlic cloves, minced

1 quart water

4 ancho chiles

1 serrano chile

6 dried red chiles

1 tablespoon comino seeds, freshly ground (cumin)

2 tablespoons Mexican oregano

Salt to taste

Instructions:

Place lightly floured beef and pork cubes in the pork and
beef fat in a heavy chili pot and cook quickly, stirring often.

Add onions and garlic and cook until they are tender and limp

Add water to mixture and simmer slowly while preparing chiles

Remove stems and seeds from chiles and chop very finely

Grind chiles in molcajete and add oregano with salt to mixture

Simmer another 2 hours

Remove fat pieces and skim off some fat

Never cook frijoles with chiles and meat

Serve as separate dish.

(Institute of Texan Cultures)

So where was chili invented? Again the history of chili simply indicates there may not be an answer. We know that peppers and spices have existed since the beginning of time. Chile peppers show up in the ancient foods of China, India, Indonesia, Italy, the Caribbean, France, and the Arab states. The green chile pepper was brought to what is now New Mexico in 1598. And strangely enough, Canary Islanders who came to San Antonio as early as 1723 used local peppers, wild onions, garlic, and other spices to cook pungent meat dishes somewhat like the ones they prepared in their native land.

But it is reasonably clear how chili was popularized. The credit must go to the cattle trail cooks and certainly to the Chili Queens of San Antonio.

As a food, how important is chili to certain parts of American life and culture? The famous mountain man, Kit Carson, thought of chili when he supposedly uttered his dying words: "Wish I had time for just one more bowl of chili."

Will we ever be able to crown one single recipe as the best? I don't believe so, and that's fine with me. I think everyone has great fun trying to do so.

The history of chili and its development makes me believe the great chili debate is destined to continue forever.

About the author:
Donna Hager has owned and operated an American-style restaurant for over two decades. More articles and hundreds of recipes can be found on her website that features real restaurant recipes, menus, cooking tips, and much more at Real Restaurant Recipes

Donna is also the author of the new e-cookbook, "Real Restaurant Recipes: Food That Built a Business"

Article Source: http://www.Free-Articles-Zone.com

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