There are many ways to prepare chili, but all of them involve three central ingredients: chilis (in powder form, plus other spices) masa (cornmeal) and meat. The further one strays from this basic recipe, the less one is preparing chili.
Dishes that contain beans are not chili. Chili is a meat dish; the meat provides the protein. Beans are not needed. They are not wanted. They are not chili.
Some chili dishes are served with peeled, stewed tomatoes, onions, cheese, and other additions. While tasty, please keep in mind that these are garnishes, not ingedients; chili as such is not made with any vegetables. Stewed beef with tomatoes, vegetables, etc. is beef stew, not chili.
Chili is a main course, not a topping, garnish, or gravy. Chili should never be served "over" any other food. (Chili dogs are covered with chili sauce, not chili.) People who serve chili over rice are barbarians and should be deported back to the bayous of Louisiana whence they came.
Anyone serving chili over macaroni, spaghetti, or other pasta is a Communist from Russia and should get what the Rosenbergs got.
Poorer people often serve chili made with ground beef. As an economic expedient this is understandable; however, the true chili connosieur knows that real chili is always and only made with sliced chunks of beef, never with ground. Ground beef is too fatty; a bowl of grease with meat in it is not chili.
Chili should never be seasoned after cooking. Tabasco is an excellent condiment, but never put Tabasco in chili (see "deportation to bayou", above).
Chili should be hot enough to make a Texan's eyes water, and should never be served in warm weather. The first day one's breath becomes visible in the air outside one's home is the first day chili can be properly served.
CALIFORNIANS CANNOT MAKE CHILI. PERIOD.
I think the beans get added to help defray costs and stretch it further. And I agree, leave the big chunks and whole tomatoes OUT!
One recipe I used years ago, called for adding the spices to the base gravy when or while it was cool. It helped to keep the spices IN the chili and not sticking to the upper rim of the cooking pot.
There are tons of good spices and seasoning that could be used. I was wondering if anyone tried using Mombassa Chipotle (SP) sauce in chili before?
Sorry B-Chan, I don't agree. Chili needs to be served when the weather is warm enough to keep the winders open. Otherwise the house is lible to explode from toxic gasses that tend to develop after eating good Chili.
:-)
I beg to differ. Great place to eat chili out in LA. It's called Chili My Soul 28 different varieties of Chili all slow cooked over at least 30 hours. Heat levels in some that can make a grown Texan weep and beg for mercy. I am addicted to the place.