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The best chili ever
The Detroit Free Press ^ | October 2, 2001 | SUSAN SELASKY

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 ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Miscellaneous
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To: Willie Green
I cook up a pot of chili ever so often using a Wick Fowler's mix. He won the Terligua Texas Chili Cook-Off a while back. He has a family style and a two alarm style. Adding a Shiner Bock and plate of corn bread will make it a perfect meal.
21 posted on 10/02/2001 1:13:14 PM PDT by Slyfox
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To: riley1992
Re: Greek. Where's the recipe for Grape Leaf Chili?
22 posted on 10/02/2001 1:14:22 PM PDT by Rebelbase
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To: Willie Green
Nuthin beats Texas chilli and BarBQue.I never order BBQ or chilli in a restaurant,maybe in a small town cafe,they are usualy owned and operated.Got to have plenty of cumin in the chilli.
23 posted on 10/02/2001 1:14:54 PM PDT by eastforker
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To: hispanarepublicana
I am cry-laughing! Thanks, that made my day.
24 posted on 10/02/2001 1:15:47 PM PDT by gjenkins
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To: Rebelbase
Hang on. I have it stashed behind my Moussaka Corn Chili one.
25 posted on 10/02/2001 1:16:10 PM PDT by riley1992
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To: Willie Green
Thanks for posting these great chili recipes! I grew chili peppers in my garden this year and they are indeed ready for harvest. I was planning to make my own "famous" chili next week!

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!

26 posted on 10/02/2001 1:16:28 PM PDT by Swede Girl
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To: Willie Green
Thanks Willie. We love a good bowl of chili. We'll try the recipes. My son loves to cook it.
27 posted on 10/02/2001 1:16:49 PM PDT by freedom4ever
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To: mombonn
Yep, Greektown. God, I love that place. It is even worth risking your life to get to it.
28 posted on 10/02/2001 1:17:03 PM PDT by riley1992
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To: eastforker
Metzler/Dieter Brothers in Lindsey, Texas. We drive to Texas just so we can stop there. Man that is some good BBQ.
29 posted on 10/02/2001 1:18:28 PM PDT by gjenkins
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To: Willie Green
As a fifty year resident of New Mexico I can give you guys the true rules about chili.

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.

30 posted on 10/02/2001 1:18:33 PM PDT by ProudFossil
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To: Corporate Law
My Yankee wife took me, a Texan, to Skyline chili telling me its the greatest chili ever. Being one who is openminded and who is at least a bit open to the suggestion that just maybe Texans dont do EVERYTHING better, i ordered a bowl. All I can say is that if they left out the nutmeg, oregano, cinnamon, beans, and all the other stuff that doesn't belong in chili and added in some peppers it probably would have been quite good. Needless to say we had to stop somewhere else for me to get some lunch.

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.....

31 posted on 10/02/2001 1:18:40 PM PDT by jdub
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To: Willie Green
That White Bean Chicken Chili is actually pretty good with some Tomatillias in it.
32 posted on 10/02/2001 1:19:45 PM PDT by gjenkins
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To: riley1992
LOL!. If its not there, it maybe listed with the Spanakopita Con Carne.
33 posted on 10/02/2001 1:20:30 PM PDT by Rebelbase
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To: Willie Green
BUMP
34 posted on 10/02/2001 1:20:35 PM PDT by Aurelius
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To: Swede Girl
This really thhickens the sauce or "gravy" and it is a beefy flavor.

Thanks for the idea, I use refried beans to thicken mine.

35 posted on 10/02/2001 1:20:45 PM PDT by mombonn
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To: Willie Green
As good a time as any to repeat an old FR favorite:

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??!!

36 posted on 10/02/2001 1:21:18 PM PDT by kitkat
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To: jdub
Ha-ha. That can't be true. People don't drink in their cars in Texas.
37 posted on 10/02/2001 1:22:08 PM PDT by AppyPappy
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To: riley1992
It is even worth risking your life to get to it.

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.

38 posted on 10/02/2001 1:23:31 PM PDT by mombonn
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To: AppyPappy
People don't drink in their cars in Texas.

That doesn't count for "The Free State of Luchenbach."

39 posted on 10/02/2001 1:25:48 PM PDT by hispanarepublicana
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To: francisandbeans
There are always several jars of Dave's Insanity products in my larder. Have you tried his salsa?

Although for chili I prefer to use my own backyard grown scotch bonnets steeped in vinegar.

40 posted on 10/02/2001 1:26:51 PM PDT by Uncle Fud
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