Posted on 04/16/2009 12:26:37 PM PDT by JoeProBono
Chili con carne, better known as chili for short, was named Official State Dish of Texas back in the late 1970s.
Why chili and not barbecue or steak? According to Paul Burka, political writer, food guru, and all-around resident curmudgeon of Texas Monthly magazine, the esteemed members of the Texas State Legislature were bribed with beer (probably enough to do the trick) and free chili by a lobbyist for the cause. In his article, "I Still Hate Chili," Burka notes, "(Chili lobbyist) Robert Marsh brewed what he claimed to be the world's largest pot of chili to feed to the members of the Legislature: 259 gallons weighing over 2500 pounds. Marsh also persuaded Pearl to donate 24 cases of beer, which several lawmakers told me had more to do with the bill's ultimate success than the taste of the chili." In short, politics as usual...and we were right about the beer's influence.
Chili, after all, is hardly Texan in origin. In fact, it may have been bought to the United States by settlers from the Canary Islands.
According to Robb Walsh, author of The Tex-Mex Cookbook, fifteen families arrived in San Antonio, in March, 1731, bringing their Berber-influenced love of spices with them. He adds that the Canary Island women reportedly made a stew of cumin, wild onions, chili peppers, the available herbs and cooked according to custom in big copper kettles outdoors in the plaza. Over time, meat was added and the dish evolved into modern chili.
Descendants of those original cooks kept up the practice of selling their rude fare well into the 20th century and became known as Chili Queens...until they were chased from downtown plazas for health reasons.
Other theories abound for the origin of chili. W.C. Jameson notes a dozen or so in his book, The Ultimate Chili Cookbook, speculating that the dish could have also come from Gold Rush settlers, Old West cowboys of--most mysteriously--La Dama de Azul (The Lady in Blue), a 17th Century Spanish nun who in a series of prophetic trances, told of visiting a distant land where she walked among natives and spoke to them about Christianity. With amazing accuracy, she described a dish consisting of venison, onions, tomatoes and peppers, an impressive feat considering she apparently died without ever having visited the New World.....
That has beans in it - that’s not chili! That’s a pot of beans with some meat....
I made some “real Texas Chili” from a recipe I found on the internet. No beans, no tomato’s or tomato sauce. The stuff looked like a big cow patty.
Word
I had that once - never again - couldn’t gag it down.
What is your fascination with pasta and chili? lol
Hehe, my wife, from Ohio, introduced me to that. It’s, um, different.
I guess if you grow up with something it seems normal - I had never even heard of anyone putting chili on pasta until I married.... I guess I lead a sheltered life. ;^)
“That chili with the beans in that picture is not from Texas.”
Looks like how my family makes it in New Mexico. Mmmm, mmmm. Tastes so much better with pintos. You chili snobs can keep your 1/2 finished version. The pintos may be a side dish (also vey delicious), but your stuff is a condiment.
Tell me, do they make sopapillas in Texas?
Wow, I posted the same pic without seeing that you had already done so.
TCP is just a few miles from my home, I may have to stop in this evening.
Guy Clark’s Dublin Blues:
I wish I was in Austin
In the Chili Parlour Bar
Drinkin’ Mad Dog Margaritas
And not carin’ where you are
I feel real bad for people that have never had a real “bowl of red”, and for those poor souls that throw beans in a pot of chili. Seems so wrong to me.
I also remember that what we called “New Mexico” chili had cheese in it, and of course, the beans. It was sort of a joke.
Our family recipe calls for a 1/4 cup of Bourbon to flavor the meat before the chili powder, peppers, etc. go in. Known as “Firewater Chili”.
Oh that sounds interesting.... care to make me a honorary cousin and share the family recipe?
Way too many beans in some of that “chili”.
Well now that just looks good.... I love chili dogs!
Ping
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