If you ever step foot in Texas at some point you will learn about the great Chili wars. To bean or not to bean, that is the question. I am not actually sure why Texans think they own this food. Yes, it is a trail food but so are um, beans. Anyway, if you have ever met a Texan they pretty much think God created Texas and the rest of the states were an afterthought. I don't bother arguing with them. I just know they are wrong.
So let me get this out of the way early, I bean. Actually, I double bean my chili. I have never entered a cooking contest and really I had no intention of entering a chili cook off but my adjuster came to me with a plea and the logic that being from a state where we suffered through long, cold winters I must know how to make good chili. I had to give it to him for creativity in coming up with a good attempt there!
So last night I made chili and because I am short on blog ideas, you all get to suffer through it a little!
Started off with 3lbs ground beef, 2 onions and a little EVOO.
Browned and crumbled.
Added 1 large can ranch or 2 small cans pinto beans and 2 cans kidney beans (I prefer dark red but grabbed the wrong ones)
1 large can diced tomatoes
1 large can puréed tomatoes
My spices which I am sorry to say, I cook to taste.
Chili powder
Cayenne Pepper
Salt
Garlic powder (not much)
Cinnamon
Sugar
The key is lots of cayenne and sugar. I add it in batches and taste (new spoon each time) until it is the perfect spicy/sweet combo.
My chili is not hot it is spicy and sweet....a little like me, when I want to be.
It is perfect with a little cheddar and a football game. Crackers and tortilla chips are awesome in it. If you like corn bread (I don't) I heard several people describing it as the perfect chili to go with corn bread. I also heard it described as "soul chili" which made this white girl smile with delight! I have never been accused of doing anything with soul. (insert 'Because Gingers have no soul' joke here since I am a redhead!)
These are some of the pictures of the cook off right before people really started to show up and the final product, of course! (Mine is E. shhhh, don't tell!)
If the weather would just turn a little bit cold I could make a big pot of this stuff and share with my friends. The ones that are not anti-bean of course! Oh, one final note: of all the chili entered, only one was hot dog sauce. (That's what I think of when I see chili without beans.) take that my Bean-stew friends!
Happy Friday and remember gang, chili has beans unless you put it on a hot dog!
Simply,
Laura
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Okay, a couple of updates:
ReplyDeleteFirst, when I make this at home I use ground Turkey and Truvia to make it healthier. It tastes just as good to me. I can't tell the differenct.
Second, when I got back from lunch I found out I won 3rd place in the contest. OH, and all the chili that won...had beans. Told you!