the question:

chili is many things to many people, and there are literally thousands of recipes from all over the country, incorporating nearly any ingredient you can think of. but if you had to describe this unique, iconic american creation, without using a recipe, to the mythical man from mars, how would you do so?

my answer:

to me, this visitor from mars can only know what chili is by spending some time in west texas, eastern new mexico, southern colorado - that magical and historical playground of coronado, the comanche, goodnight and loving; in fact, since this martian is hypothetical, i'll go ahead and contend that he must also be able to travel in time, so that he can visit this region during the latter half of the 19th century - chili was born there; or, if not born there, it at least came into its own there, and became what it is.



it's a child of two parents: texas and mexico ~ and a product of two important factors unique to the american experience. the first being the long cattle drives on a dusty trail on the llano estacado, among the mesquite flats or on the high plains, or maybe in the cottonwoods along the banks of a silty trickle of a river. somewhere along these trails, some steer would have died along the way, or a heifer may have stepped in a hole, broken her leg and had to be put down - instant, fresh meat that needed to be consumed.



the second factor would have been some mexican cook who took this meat and turned it into something that was made from the dried or portable ingredients on the chuckwagon, including onions, herbs and spices - maybe some garlic - making a stew that was familiar to his texan colleagues whilst also adding a little bit of his own colourful heritage into the mix. availibilty of ingredients, through stored dry goods on the chuckwagon, or perhaps a supply stop at some fort along the way, would have determined the specific ingredients; but the heart of the dish was of course beef, with onion, dried chiles and maybe a few herbs and spices - i'd like to think that somehow, tomato was involved as well, but that is probably just wishful thinking, barring some fortuitous trade for fresh ingredients in some hamlet along the trail.

this chili would have simmered alongside a separate pot of beans, which are very portable in dried form, and of course a pot of coffee was nearby; finally, i am sure a dutch oven full of freshly-baked sourdough biscuits would have been involved as well, to sop up the juices - or perhaps drizzled with honey as a dessert - great food for the trail, and once again a shining example of using what's available to create good, filling, satisfying food after a long day's work.



but it wasn't simply some one-time, chance meeting of these factors, to be set in stone at that moment and preserved rigidly as a famous chef's legacy or a protected national dish; chili in some form must have existed before these events took place and came about in slightly-varied forms on many trails. having said that, along these trails, chili became interwoven with the american experience, as much a legend of the west as the cowboy or the texas longhorn.

i don't have a "chilipedia" sitting right here, but i bet that's close to the origins and the essence of chili, and to me, that's what it is ~

Good read!

I've tried several Chili recipies over the years and finally settled on one I like.
Funny thing is, like many recipies, no two batches come out exactly the same even though I add the same ingredients.

Try a 50/50 mixture of Pork and Beef sometime. But whatever you do,,, for gods sake keep the beans away from it.
PS,,, I thicken mine with Golden Pheasant brand Polenta type corn meal. Put it in about half way through so it gets completly absorbed and isn't gritty. Mmmmmm!

Adios Amigo

I have a chili recipe I came up with for a cook-off at a city sponsored July 4 event a few years back. Tied for first place.

No freakin' beans!

I can dig it out if anyone is interested.

Good read! I love chili & mine has beans in it, I like it both ways but just prefer to have beans!! I'll be in Raton, New Mexico in a few days & they won't have beans in there chili, and I'll eat plenty.

Dick

I like the beans in my Chili too.

If you need/want/have to, eat canned Chili, with or without beans, try the WalMart Great Value brand Chili.

It is the best canned Chili I have ever eaten.
Drop in some Fritos, and some shredded sharp cheddar cheese, and some chopped onions and you are good to go...

In comparison Wolf brand tastes like what I think Dog food would taste like.

Being born and raised within a mile of the Border, I beg to differ on the home of "chili". I suspect it was from a number of places -- with variations by geographic location.

I don't always agree with the admonition that chile can't contain beans, although generally it shouldn't on the first day, IMHO. Later, combined with an old pot of beans that has cooked down, it's great.

I do have a "green Chili" recipe that includes white beans and fish, shellfish or shrimp that calls for white navy beans on the first day. Tomatillos, poblano peppers, garlic, onions, cilantro, navy beans, etc. Grill the fish, boil the shrimp, or prepare the shellfish accordingly. It's good, but I can't give you as detailed a recipe as Tas, as I never follow a recipe anyway. I guess you could use chicken, although I never have.

Kind of depends on what you've got at the moment. I bet Taz could come up with a stunning recipe.

Tas is clearly the better cook and I'd follow his recommendations.

quote:

Originally posted by Ted68:
I have a chili recipe I came up with for a cook-off at a city sponsored July 4 event a few years back. Tied for first place.

No freakin' beans!

I can dig it out if anyone is interested.

Start diggin' !

I'm confused ! If there's no beans where did the phrase 'chili con carne ' come from ??

quote:

If there's no beans where did the phrase 'chili con carne '

mete - i'll leave the correct answer for the people who can give it, but my thinking is that somewhere back in the day, there was probably a rudimentary soup made out of chiles, maybe with onions, herbs and spices (maybe even beans!). i say this because a friend from another forum, who is of latino descent, tells me that when he was growing up, the request of "pass thie chili" would get you a bowl of a bowl of chopped chillis with some salt or an occasional spice or lime juice. maybe somewhere along the line, a texan might have added added beef, and maybe be said "keep those darned beans out - leave 'em for the mexicans!" or maybe the "con carne" was added to differentiate this meat-filled stew from a concotion similar to the above. i'm just having a little fun with history here, because i don't know for sure, but who knows?

quote:

Tas is clearly the better cook and I'd follow his recommendations.

hey, lavaca - i appreciate the vote of confidence, but when it comes to chili, i don't know if i'd come even close to the real thing. to be honest, your green chili sounds really good.

i do have two ways that i like to make chili, but i want to stress that i do not put them forth as authentic or as examples of what chili should be.

my mother is from south-central and south-western colorado, a state with a good chili tradition. having said that, nearly every ingredient in her chili always came out of a can (tomatoes, beans etc.) and it was made from ground beef. good chili, but not probably not the real experience.

to me, chili is a celebration of four flavours: beef onions and tomato - held together by the common denominator of the chile, which provides the base and, of course, heat, to the degree that you desire. great chili doesn't have to be hot, but it should definitely be a warm, satisfying experience that will leave no doubt as to the region of origin.

i have two methods that i use for chili. one is closer to authentic, i think, and one is purely for "comfort food" or weeknight/schoolnight/worknight food.

a) for the first:

my favourite beef for chili is chuck roast, cut into cubes. if you are not familiar with this cut, any cubes cut from the neck, shoulder and upper front quarter will be fine. you want tough, hard-working, wonderfully-flavourful cuts that are going to turn perfectly tender with slow cooking.

the chiles should be dried, smoked if you can get them. they can be hot or mild as you prefer, but i recomend going on the mild side, as you can add crushed red pepper flakes to the final dish, if you prefer. reconsititute them in enough hot water to cover them, then pulverise them into a paste (instructions below). diced onions and tomatoes should be prevalent almost to the point of dominating the dish, but not quite. for liquids, you want tomato sauce and beef broth or stock.

here's a good recipe that i used as a base, then improvised for "chile colorado;" i'll post the recipe, then add my modifications:

quote:

8 dried red chiles (such as Guajillo, California or New Mexico) rehydrated and ground into a paste (see below)
3-pound beef roast
1 can beef broth
1 can tomato sauce
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely diced
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons lard or oil for frying

Rehydrating Dried Chiles-

Pick dried chiles that have no tears or broken pieces. Use whole chiles that look fresh. Rinse off any excess dust or grime under cool water. Pat dry then cut the top off of each chile and then slit it down the middle. Shake out the seeds, using your fingers or a spoon to dislodge any seeds that want to stick. Peel off any excess dried veins that are lighter in color and run in a line down the inside.

Heat a comal (or griddle) over medium/high heat and roast the dried chiles for 2-3 minutes. Turn them often to avoid burning them. Then you're going to cover the chiles in hot water and let them soak for about 30 minutes. Remove the chiles from the water and place the chiles in a blender with about 1/4 cup of water or the soaking liquid (if it is not too bitter) and puree until smooth. You can also add the garlic and oregano to the chiles while blending them. The finished puree is what you will add to the Chile Colorado.

------------------------------------------

i added to the recipe above a large diced onion, which i carmelised first in a dutch oven (with the minced garlic near the end); then i set the onions aside and seared the cubes of beef, similar to making carbonade flamande. i then prepared the peppers as described above, brought the onions, beef and chile puree together with the tomato sauce and also a can of crushed tomatoes. added the spices (including a scant tablespoon each of cumin and paprika) and broth (stock would be better, of course). into the oven at 275-300 for two hours or so, and it was really good.

the simple flavors made an almost-perfect combination. i omitted the salt, since the tomatoes and beef broth seemed to have plenty. the chiles provided the right amount of spice without being overpowering or oppressive - overall, i was impressed.

if this dish needs any thickening, masa harina or crushed tortilla chips would be best, if available - having said that, it can probably be thickened through simple reduction. beans can be added if you like, or can be served on the side in their own right. tortillas are a good way to scoop everything up.

b) the second is really just a variation on the chili my mother made when i was young. this recipe might be frowned upon by the hardcore chili-ologists, but it works and feeds two adults and four children with some leftovers for the next day. it is not meant to be a historic, authentic, definitive or "gourmet" recipe, just some very good work-night food. due to what is in the pantry or to the mood at the time, we do not use all listed herbs and spices all the time, but it seems, to me, to be much more interesting when we do. for a smaller number of people, cut recipe in half:

2 large + 1 small cans of diced tomatoes
2 large + 1 small cans of chili beans
2-3 pounds of ground meat or meat cubes (hamburger, deer, elk, chorizo, anything. i tried 1/2 ground pork and 1/2 hamburger once and it was great!)
2 small cans of tomato sauce
2 small cans of tomato paste
1 large yellow onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, chopped fine
*optional - a dash or two of liquid smoke

also, combine all these spices in a container and set aside:

3 Tbsp. chili powder (or to taste)
1 Tbsp paprika (smoked, if you have it) (or to taste)
1 Tbsp. dry oregano (or to taste)
1 Tbsp. cumin (or to taste)
2 tsp. coriander (or to taste)
2 tsp. freshly-ground black pepper
4 beef bullion cubes, crushed (or equivalent amount in granules)

brown the hamburger with the onion and garlic on high until the "juice" is gone and you've got nothing but meat and fat left. some people like to drain the fat, some like to leave it in; i prefer to drain it. if you use meat cubes rather than burger, brown them in 2 Tbsp. of hot oil. remove from the heat, add the spices and stir well, then add tomatoes and beans, return to heat and cook, stirring constantly, until juices reduce down. add tomato sauce, tomato paste and liquid smoke (optional). bring to boiling, stirring often, then reduce heat down to low and simmer until you can't wait any longer.

this recipe relies on store-bought chili beans, which might be a no-no to the die-hards, but is essential to working parents with 4 kids. keep in mind that these store-bought beans usually already have a bit of seasoning and chili powder, so the amounts i suggest reflect that fact. this recipe also does not have jalapenos, green peppers, cayenne peppers or habaneros, although you may certainly add them if you want to.

i really like cumin, but the beautiful mrs. tas doesn't, so i often leave it out. i did add a bit of liquid smoke once, and got a great outdoors flavor that i really liked and my wife really hated. give it a try at your discretion.

quote:

Originally posted by mete:
I'm confused ! If there's no beans where did the phrase 'chili con carne ' come from ??

Note that the phrase is "chili con carne", not "frijoles con carne". Chili is a modern change in the word "chile" which means, of course, pepper, in the case of the original chili, usually the wild chile pequin, which was and is common in South Texas and Mexico. It was the state pepper of Texas until some obviously deranged legislators (of which we have a plentitude in Texas) changed it to the jalapeno. "Chili" is used to desiginate the Texas sacred bowl of red (officially recognized as the "State Food of Texas), as opposed to "chile" which means the peppers. Originally chili was primarily used by poor people to tenderize, stretch out the quantity and taste of the meat, and to keep it from spoiling. It has morphed into a large industry/hobby over the years.

Here's a site which has most of what you need to know about chili (including that REAL chili doesn't have beans in it) in a relatively compact explanation (not on this site but there are MANY award winning chili recipes on line, for best results, USE FRESH SPICES, the same as in barbecue):Chili-Texas Red

quote:

the wild chile pequin

i'd love to try growing those up here. want to trade some seeds for a bottle or two of some good montana microbrew?

#1: Chile pequins (which have a wide variety of spellings and pronunciation) don't grow in my area of Texas. They grow in the more arid or even desert regions of the Central and SW parts of Texas. I believe they are available on line. I am not sure how difficult they are to grow but, in general, hot peppers like sunshine and hot weather.

#2: My opinion of you has not changed and trading anything with you is never going to happen. I only replied on this thread after I removed my "ignore" on your posts because Chili is a subject dear to Texan's hearts.

#1 - well, it was worth a shot to ask, if they are available online, i'll check there.

#2 - fair enough, if that's your choice - but a) this was business (what i considered to be a fair trade), not personal - and b) if fences are ever to be mended, it's gotta start somewhere; seems to me, a trade involving beer and chili would have been a good place to start. where i'm from, an offer of beer is a sign of a good faith effort, and i wanted to offer respect on a subject (chili) that i know is dear to your heart (or the heart of any texan).

in other words, people change, and none of us are the same people we were 5 years ago or even 2. i held out an olive branch in a sincere effort at reconciliation, and what you do with it is your choice. to be honest, i don't even remember what the fight is about, or i would certainly take responsibility for my part in it, which was probably fueled by the passion of politics (which have no place in food discussions).

we've got some good beer up here - if you ever change your mind, i'd be glad to send some down, chiles or no chiles. as a Christian, i believe in starting clean slates, with anyone.

P.M. Sent

received, replied and appreciated ~

I gew pequins in North Carolina......easy to grow and very productive.

OK , then chili can be almost anything and the more you're "Tex-Mex" the hotter it is !

Iwas only in Mexico for dinner once and it didn't include chili.But the whole story is like those who search for "the authentic recipe" for ...... A hopeless search ! Especially when the searcher doesn't understand they usually involve whatever is available and in season.
Another point is , in Italy at least, that we make it in this town this way and the otherguys just 5 miles down the road make it very different . But they don't know what they're doing !!
Create your own version and enjoy !!

quote:

Especially when the searcher doesn't understand they usually involve whatever is available and in season.
Another point is , in Italy at least, that we make it in this town this way and the otherguys just 5 miles down the road make it very different .

very true for a lot of things!!

quote:

OK , then chili can be almost anything and the more you're "Tex-Mex" the hotter it is

Nope, you've a bit off. People can CALL almost anything chili, but that doesn't make it chili.
It's like someone could call vegetable soup, crawfish etoufee but that doesn't make it so.

This is an old joke, but if you haven't read it, it is appropriate for this thread.....

TEXAS CHILI COOK OFF

Judge #3 was an inexperienced Chili taster named Frank, who was visiting from Springfield, IL.


Frank: "Recently, I was honored to be selected as a judge at a chili cook-off. The original person called in sick at the last moment and I happened to be standing there at the judge's table, asking for directions to the Coors Light truck, when the call came in... I was assured by the other two judges (Native Texans) 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 and became Judge 3."


Here are the scorecard notes from the event:



CHILI # 1 - MIKE'S MANIAC MONSTER CHILE

Judge # 1 -- A little too heavy on the tomato. Amusing kick.

Judge # 2 -- Nice, smooth tomato flavor. Very mild.

Judge # 3 (Frank) -- Holy crap, what the hell is this stuff? You could remove dried paint from your driveway. It took me two beers to put the flames out. I hope that's the worst one. These Texans are crazy.



CHILE # 2 - EL RANCHO'S AFTERBURNER CHILE

Judge # 1 -- Smoky, with a hint of pork. Slight jalapeno tang..

Judge # 2 -- Exciting BBQ flavor, needs more peppers to be taken seriously.

Judge # 3 -- Keep this out of the reach of children. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to taste besides pain. I had to wave off two people who wanted to give me the Heimlich maneuver. They had to rush in more beer when they saw the look on my face.



CHILI # 3 - ALFREDO'S FAMOUS BURN DOWN THE BARN CHILI

Judge # 1 -- Excellent firehouse chile. Great kick.

Judge # 2 -- A bit salty, good use of peppers.

Judge # 3 -- Call the EPA. I've located a uranium spill. My nose feels like I have been snorting Drano. Everyone knows the routine by now. Get me more beer before I ignite. Barmaid pounded me on the back, now my backbone is in the front part of my chest. I'm getting ****-faced from all of the beer.



CHILI # 4 - BUBBA'S BLACK MAGIC

Judge # 1 -- Black bean chile with almost no spice. Disappointing.

Judge # 2 -- Hint of lime in the black beans. Good side dish for fish or other mild foods, not much of a chile.

Judge # 3 -- I felt something scraping across my tongue, but was unable to taste it. Is it possible to burn out taste buds? Sally, the beer maid, was standing behind me with fresh refills. This 300 lb. woman is starting to look HOT ... just like this nuclear waste I'm eating! Is chili an aphrodisiac?



CHILE # 5 - LISA'S LEGAL LIP REMOVER

Judge # 1 -- Meaty, strong chili. Jalapeno peppers freshly ground, adding considerable kick. Very impressive.

Judge # 2 -- Chili using shredded beef, could use more tomato. Must admit the jalapeno peppers make a strong statement.

Judge # 3 -- My ears are ringing, sweat is pouring off my forehead and I can no longer focus my eyes. I farted, and four people behind me needed paramedics. The contestant seemed offended when I told her that her chili had given me brain damage. Sally saved my tongue from bleeding by pouring beer directly on it from the pitcher. I wonder if I'm burning my lips off. It really ticks me off that the other judges asked me to stop screaming. Screw them.



CHILE # 6 - VARGA'S VERY VEGETARIAN VARIETY

Judge # 1 -- Thin yet bold vegetarian variety chili. Good balance of spices and peppers.

Judge # 2 -- The best yet. Aggressive use of peppers, onions, garlic. Superb.

Judge # 3 -- My intestines are now a straight pipe filled with gaseous, sulfuric flames. I crapped on myself when I farted, and I'm worried it will eat through the chair. No one seems inclined to stand behind me except that Sally. Can't feel my lips anymore. I need to wipe my butt with a snow cone.



CHILE # 7 - SUSAN'S SCREAMING SENSATION CHILI

Judge # 1 -- A mediocre chili with too much reliance on canned peppers.

Judge # 2 -- Ho hum, tastes as if the chef literally threw in a can of chili peppers at the last moment. **I should take note that I am worried about judge number 3. He appears to be in a bit of distress as he is cursing uncontrollably.

Judge # 3 -- You could put a grenade in my mouth, pull the pin, and I wouldn't feel a thing. I've lost sight in one eye, and the world sounds like it is made of rushing water. My shirt is covered with chili, which slid unnoticed out of my mouth. My pants are full of lava to match my shirt. At least during the autopsy, they'll know what killed me. I've decided to stop breathing. It's too painful. I'm not getting any oxygen anyway. If I need air, I'll just suck it in through the 4-inch hole in my stomach.



CHILE # 8 - BIG TOM'S TOENAIL CURLING CHILE

Judge # 1 -- The perfect ending, this is a nice
blend chile. Not too bold but spicy enough to declare its existence.

Judge # 2 -- This final entry is a good, balanced chili. Neither mild nor hot. Sorry to see that most of it was lost when Judge #3 farted, passed out, fell over and pulled the chili pot down on top of himself. Not sure if he's going to make it. Poor feller, wonder how he'd have reacted to really hot chili?

Judge # 3 - No Report.

quote:

this unique, iconic american creation

Mesoamerican would be more accurate since the first recipe describing 'chili con carne' was made in 1519 by Bernal Diaz del Castillo in describing the preparation for a victory feast. Where the Cholulan Indians, along with the Aztecs, were so confident of their victory against the Conquistadors the next day that they prepared cauldrons of boiled tomatoes, chile peppers, and salt, but no meat. The meat was to be furnished by the Conquistadors..........



Aside from that protein source, dog meat was the most common mammalian protein consumed by the early Mesoamericans and was undoubtedly an ingredient in the earliest versions of 'chili con carne'.

well, look what the cat dragged is ~ how you doing, skinner?

i just ordered sneor diaz de castillo's memoirs for my kindle earlier this month, so it's a pretty cool coincidence that you mention him. i haven't yet read it, but am looking forward to it.

your post dovetails with what ai know, and as i said that's where my "two parents" idea comes from. chili definitely has origins going back to the aztecs, but the fact that there is nothing resembling chili to be found in any restaurant in mexico today speaks volumes, to me. it says that the aztec influence is only half the story, and it took the texan experience to complete the equation and give us what we've got.

does the memoir (or any other source) list anywhere that the aztecs or other indigenous peoples used turkeys or javelina? i would have throught that they would have been just as prevalent as dog, but i don't claim to know for sure.

quote:

but the fact that there is nothing resembling chili to be found in any restaurant in mexico today

Depends on where you are in MX since everything is regional, there are a lot of dishes that incorporate the same ingredients as what we think of as 'chili', plus a few ingredients.

Tomatos and chile peppers (and potatoes, maize, squash, etc.) were domesticated by the Mesoamericans, as were turkeys. In fact the domestic turkeys the English brought to the American colonies in the late 1500's were descended from the birds the Spanish took back to Europe from domesticated stock of the Mesoamericans decades before.

So there was most likely turkey chili long before beef chili since the Euros introduced domestic cattle to the Americas.

But, as with everything, there was no 'chili' until some white European 'discovered' it.



Get hold of a copy of the Cambridge World History Of Food , lot's of interesting reading. A university library should have it.

The Food Timeline is pretty interesting too.

awesome stuff - thanks ~

Tas,

Where I grew up, chili pequins grew wild. Don't know if there are restrictions to shipping across state lines, but they are pretty hardy. I'm sure they don't stand cold, though, but the plants are not large, so I presume they could be kept in a pot. The peppers are very small, but very hot. Three or four would sit easily on a dime and will season a whole pot of beans. Might want a few more for chili, but not too many. Let me know if you would like me to see about getting some seeds.

quote:

Originally posted by lavaca:

I do have a "green Chili" recipe that includes white beans and fish, shellfish or shrimp that calls for white navy beans on the first day. Tomatillos, poblano peppers, garlic, onions, cilantro, navy beans, etc. Grill the fish, boil the shrimp, or prepare the shellfish accordingly. It's good, but I can't give you as detailed a recipe as Tas, as I never follow a recipe anyway. I guess you could use chicken, although I never have.

Isn't that simply a fish curry without the curry?

I found this interesting from the link Gatogordo posted.
Quote:
"Chili, as we know it in the U.S., cannot be found in Mexico today except in a few spots which cater to tourists. If chili had come from Mexico, it would still be there. For Mexicans, especially those of Indian ancestry, do not change their culinary customs from one generation, or even from one century, to another."

I don't know if the pequins would make the trip to Montana. I grew some jalapenoes in WV that were the same as the ones I grew in Ok. They florished and produced a lot of peppers but there wasn't any heat in the peppers. I tried it for a couple of years with the same results.
???

Someone correct me if I am mistaken.

Chili Pequins, in south Texas, are sometimes referred to as "Turkey Peppers". Wild turkeys would eat the chili’s and pass the seeds, where ever they landed, being freshly fertilized, a plant would grow.

I had two plants in my flower bed behind the house last year. Started to pull them up but they looked like something other than weeds. Let them go and before long, little blooms and peppers. It is funny because they don’t usually grow WILD this far north, but I noticed where they got started, the local Mockingbird liked to set and sing???????

In my opinion, there is not a better flavored chili than the Pequin, we use them in a lot of our cooking as well as sauce. Just don’t want to over Pequin anything cause those little balls o’fire will light you up if you let them, but they do have a wonderful flavor.

The movie, city slickers when everyone was meeting the hands before they embarked on the cattle drive, the cook told them that they would not be getting, (can’t remember exactly) beef wellington, no eggs benedict, but what they would get would be “ THICK, BROWN AND HOT”

quote:

Originally posted by lavaca:
Tas,

Where I grew up, chili pequins grew wild. Don't know if there are restrictions to shipping across state lines, but they are pretty hardy. I'm sure they don't stand cold, though, but the plants are not large, so I presume they could be kept in a pot. The peppers are very small, but very hot. Three or four would sit easily on a dime and will season a whole pot of beans. Might want a few more for chili, but not too many. Let me know if you would like me to see about getting some seeds.

hi, lavaca -

CROPDUSTER has generously offered to send some up here, both for sampling and for possible planting; but having said that, i do appreicate your offer and if you don't mind senidng some up, i'll certainly take them, since they are not to be found up here and my thinking is the more, the better.

as i told gatogordo and cropduster, if you'd like to sample a couple of montana-brewed beers, just let me know.

thanks!

ron

quote:

as i told gatogordo and cropduster, if you'd like to sample a couple of montana-brewed beers,

They're both Texans so I'm sure they love beer, but I'm not sure that Montana brewed beer would be an improvement over Texas brewed beer, or at least what they call the 'beer like' beverages that are brewed in TX.

If you want really good beer, and wines, meads, ciders, perry's and so on you have to come to CA, where we swim in booze.

No discussion of chili, no matter the origin or the ingredients can be done without discussing the proper beers that must be consumed with chili.

Actually, I find a nice crisp hard cider or perry is the best partner to a bowl of chili.

Hard cider is the drink of choice for true American patriots BTW.

hard cider's dang good, and i'll enjoy one any time - but we do pretty well brewing beer here in montana, too!

Made this powder mix:
http://www.food.com/recipeprint.do?rid=397088
and used it to make this chili recipe:
http://whatscookingamerica.net/Soup/ChasenChili.htm
but did not add extra cumin....used only that cumin encorporated in the powder mix. Also, used diced poblano peppers instead of bell peppers.
Result was excellent.

Jools,

Thanks for the tip. That's exactly what it needs -- some tumeric, clove, etc. to make a nice curry.