Chili con Carne with Chilpotle Peppers

Homemade tortilla chips can be crushed on top of the chili or left whole to soak up the spicy juices.
Top with sour cream, fresh cilantro, chopped sweet onion, and sliced avocado--
a tasty 30-MINUTE dinner!

Weather update for all y'all not living in the South--fall is officially here, winter is coming, and it's time for a bowl of homemade chili.

The sky seems a deeper blue, if that's possible in Texas; the air is crisp and clear, and puffy white clouds float lazily across the morning sky. Whenever I can open the backdoor without feeling a rush of stifling heat and humidity, I know autumn has arrived in Austin and I begin to cook accordingly!

Inspired by a few of these mornings in a row, it seemed like the perfect time to make fall's first chili for dinner. This recipe is my interpretation of a bowl of good 'ole Texas Red--aka Chile con carne--chili with meat--and no beans. No real Texan would ruin a good pot of chili by adding beans to the pot!  Or would they?

Supper's ready!
For culinary history buff, in 1977 the state dish of Texas was declared...
Chili con Carne

There are numerous regional versions of chili con carne and the recipe you favor probably depends on which part of the country you grew up in--North, South, East, or West. Chili aficionados continue to debate the origin of this spicy meat stew. There are stories of 18th century immigrants from the Spanish Canary Islands who served a similar stew when they emigrated to San Antonio. Other chili historians believe the first batch of true chili was made around in Texas 1850 for traveling cowboys, and handily kept by the cook in pressed bricks to be reconstituted in water on the trails. Sounds reasonable enough. That is, reasonable enough if you come from Texas!

Some outdoor kitchen huh?

However, if you live in Ohio, you probably have a recipe for Cincinnati Chili-5 Ways, created in 1922 by a Tom Kiradjieff, a Macedonian immigrant. In an effort to draw more locals into his struggling restaurant, this creative cook re-created his country's national dish, Tavče Gravče, (translated into English as "beans in a skillet") and served it to his customers. The Chili-5 Ways included (1) his thin sauce-like stew spiced with cinnamon, cloves, allspice and chocolate served over (2) spaghetti, then topped with (3) shredded cheddar cheese, (4) chopped onions and/or (5) kidney beans. Thus, the Five Ways ala Macedonian style. Oyster crackers and mild hot sauce were served on the side. Weird--but it works in Ohio. While I have never had Cincinnati chili, my mother served us a similar dish we called Chili-Mac--canned Wolf Brand Chili mixed with and elbow macaroni with canned tomatoes. Delicious! Don't laugh--chili mac, while being a cheap meal for a family of six, is an approved MRE for the U. S. Military--a Meal, Ready to Eat! It was filling, cheap (inexpensive), tasty, and growing kids are always ready to eat anything.

California cooks are probably fans of the what is deemed the most famous chili ever made--Chasen's. David Chasen, a former vaudevillian, developed the recipe in 1936 and served it at his clubby restaurant in Hollywood. With friends like Frank Capra and Frank Sinatra, what started as a small rib and chili joint, ended up as one of the most famous Hollywood restaurants ever. When one of Chasen's regular customers apparently got tired of the menu and told him to "cook something else-everyone is sick of ribs and chili". Chasen wisely listened and created the elegant menu below. Chili wasn't on that fancy menu of caviar, saddle of lamb, and champagne, but those in the know had their chauffeurs pick up quarts through the back door and deliver it to their home. Now that's loyalty!

Chasen's famous chili was not even on the menu, so I guess you had to be in the know.
Look at this classic menu--made me nostalgic and hungry for cream and butter.

Fanatical about protecting the recipe, Chasen cooked alone in his restaurant kitchen on Sundays, then kept his chili frozen, believing it always tasted better the next day. I'm sure you've heard the story of Elizabeth Taylor requesting Chasen ship her 10 quarts of chili to her Rome Cleopatra location so she could have it for lunch. With beans one of the main ingredients, just the thought of Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, and the film crew tooting all afternoon on the set has to make you laugh! Even Eleanor Roosevelt's request for the recipe was declined. The ever gorgeous Clark Gable enjoyed a bowl of Chasen's chili the night he died. Not a great advertisement if you ask me.
 
I haven't been able to find out who, if anyone, David Chasen passed the recipe on to in his will. His wife would have been the likely recipient, but she claimed the recipe died with him. With J. Edgar Hoover, as a regular customer and huge fan of the dish, I doubt that ever happened! Numerous versions on the web claim to be the original. The secret ingredients are supposedly Gebhardt Chili Powder and, of all things, half a stick of BUTTER! Blasphemy for sure, but definitely sounds rich and tempting.  The demise of the restaurant in 1995 was attributed to the loss of Chasen and his chili recipe, the dramatic change in Californian's tastes for food that was organic and healthy, and Hollywood's obsession with staying skinny. Guess it was all that butter.

Fritos Pie in a bag--called a Walking Taco in Texas.*

There are a few quirky recipes using canned chili that have become Texas junk food classics. The every popular Walking Taco, also known as Frito Pie in a bag. Served at pre-game tailgate parties throughout the Southwest, it is simply warm chili from a can poured over an opened bag of Fritos corn chips, and topped with grated cheddar cheese, sour cream and chopped onions. Don't laugh until you've tried it. In 2010, the Texas State Fair Big Tex Choice Best Taste Award went to Fried Frito Pie. Think I'll stick to my annual binge on a few Fletcher's Corn Dogs.

Any discussion of the history of chili would be remiss if it didn't include a mention of the now famous San Antonio Chili Queens! As far back as 1880, these traditionally dressed female Mexican cooks gathered at dusk on the streets of San Antonio to sell bowls of their chili. They actually had to be escorted by a male member of their family to and from the market area, since as unmarried women it would be inappropriate to venture out alone!

Chili Queens of San Antonio. These girls look like a fun group!

Courtesy of Jack Sprecht/Institute of Texan Cultures at UTSA c.1933

As can be counted on in most local governments then and now, the health department decided to require the ladies to meet the same sanitary regulations as for restaurants, and in 1940's the chili queen culture disappeared almost overnight! But like most legends, the culinary art of these women, who served the simplest of food and now are revered as Queens, has been celebrated since 2006 on the first Sunday of April, during San Antonio's annual Fiesta week.

And now for a little cultural culinary chuckle, thanks to research by Linda Stradley of What's Cooking America. Mexico apparently long ago disavowed any connection to chili with or without beans. The 1959 edition of Diccionario de Mejicanismos's definition of chili con carne: "detestable food passing itself off as Mexican, sold in the United States from Texas to New York." **

Here is the recipe my favorite chili con carne. It only has a short history, but over the years, it been my go-to recipe when I needed a fast, delicious family meal. The recipe includes all the flavors required for a true Texas Bowl of Red, with a few twists of my own:

1. No beans ever--my kids decided they were yukky a long time ago; saved me from blasphemy.
2. Finely minced onions--kids hated seeing onions floating in anything, but loved the flavor.
3. Smokey adobo chile flavor; just the right amount of chili powder--kids always liked spicy.

And for the grown-up version, top with chopped onions, cilantro, and sour cream. Bet those Chili Queens had great chili and toppings! Don't they look like they're having a great time? Maybe that's why they needed chaperones.

My secret ingredient--with mild heat and a distinctive smokey flavor,
the sauce from these smokey peppers brings this Bowl of Red to a new level of spicy flavor.
If you really want heat--add one of the whole red chiles!

Chili con Carne
(my Texas Bowl of Red)
serves 4 generously

2 tablespoons Canola oil
1 lb. lean ground sirloin
1/2 sweet onion, minced finely, about 1 cup
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-15 oz. can tomato sauce
1/2 can of water (use tomato sauce can)
3 tablespoons chili powder
3 tablespoons sauce from a 7.5 oz. can of chilpotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Salt to taste


Optional toppings:
Sliced avocado
Sour cream
Grated sharp cheddar cheese
Fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
Minced onion

Heat canola oil on medium in pan. Add minced onions and garlic and cook, stirring often, until translucent. Add half of the chili powder and half of the ground cumin. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly.  

Add ground beef and cook on medium, breaking up meat as much as possible, until it loses it color. Don't overcook. A little pink at this point is still OK.

Add a can of tomato sauce.

Add the remaining chili powder,

then add the rest of the ground cumin.

Add one tablespoon tomato sauce.

The special ingredient--add three tablespoons of the sauce from a can
of Chilpotle chiles in adobo to add a delicious smokey, but sweet heat.

Thin with a half can of water.

Simmer on low for 20 minutes until flavors meld and sauce has thickened.
Stir occasionally and taste for seasoning.
Add additional salt or pepper to taste.

The finishing touch--homemade chips yellow corn tortillas
quartered and cooked in Canola oil until crisp.

First bite of Bowl of Red--my chilpotle style.

Make this recipe your own--spice it up, spice it down, or meet somewhere in the middle; whatever suits your family's taste. I prefer it topped with a bit of sour cream, dusted with fresh chopped sweet onions, fresh cilantro, and lots of shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Garnished with homemade tortilla chips made with healthy Canola oil, this will become one of your favorite autumn, and winter meals.

Let me know what you think about my Texas Bowl of Red and share yours! You can use ground turkey if you prefer, and venison, if you have it, is wonderful. But I urge you to try it first with lean ground sirloin for a taste of the real thing. Chili freezes well for at least a month.

Chilpotle peppers in adobo sauce can be found in most grocery stores on the Mexican food aisle by the canned jalapeño peppers. Use just the sauce for this recipe--the whole peppers are really hot! You can store the remainder of the can in your refrigerator for a month in a tightly sealed jar. If you can't find canned peppers, you can substitute chilpotle powder to taste.

Read further about the Chili Queens of San Antonio--these ladies sound like a fun entrepreneurial group. They cooked, flirted, and pretty much had a great time--even though they were required by their families to have chaperones to protect their status as single young women.

Enjoy.


Chili con Carne
(my Texas Bowl of Red)
serves 4 generously

Printable Recipe

2 tablespoons Canola oil
1 lb. lean ground sirloin
1/2 sweet onion, minced finely, about 1 cup
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-15 oz. can tomato sauce
1/2 can of water (use tomato sauce can)
3 tablespoons chili powder
3 tablespoons sauce from a can of chilpotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Salt to taste


Optional toppings:
Sliced avocado
Sour cream
Grated sharp cheddar cheese
Fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
Minced onion

Heat canola oil on medium in pan. Add mined onions and garlic and cook, stirring often, until translucent. Add half of the chili powder and half of the ground cumin. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly. 

Add ground beef and cook on medium, breaking up meat as much as possible, until it loses it color. Don't overcook. A little pink at this point is still OK.

Add tomato sauce, remaining chili powder and ground cumin, chilpotle peppers in adobo sauce, tomato paste, and water. Stir well. Taste and adjust chili powder or adobo sauce as needed to make it spicier if necessary.

Season with salt to taste and freshly ground pepper.

Lower heat to simmer and cook about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened.

Serve topped with sour cream, avocado, grated cheddar cheese, fresh cilantro, and minced onion. If you like, crush tortilla chips on top or place around bowl to absorb some of the sauce.


*Photo courtesy of Fritos Pie in a Bag/Walking Taco
**Thanks to Linda Stradley for her excellent research on the history of chili: (http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/Chili/ChiliHistory.htm)

@ 2011-2013

Recipeas4u.com

All Rights Reserved