• Menu
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Before Header

  • About Us
  • Lexicon
  • Contact Us
  • Our Store
  • ↑
  • ↓
  • ←
  • →

Balloon Juice

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Polls are now a reliable indicator of what corporate Republicans want us to think.

“The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits.”

Pessimism assures that nothing of any importance will change.

Come on, man.

It’s a good piece. click on over. but then come back!!

Their freedom requires your slavery.

I see no possible difficulties whatsoever with this fool-proof plan.

We are aware of all internet traditions.

So it was an October Surprise A Day, like an Advent calendar but for crime.

Imperialist aggressors must be defeated, or the whole world loses.

It is possible to do the right thing without the promise of a cookie.

Republicans are the party of chaos and catastrophe.

Many life forms that would benefit from greater intelligence, sadly, do not have it.

The “burn-it-down” people are good with that until they become part of the kindling.

Red lights blinking on democracy’s dashboard

You know it’s bad when the Project 2025 people have to create training videos on “How To Be Normal”.

I might just take the rest of the day off and do even more nothing than usual.

Giving in to doom is how authoritarians win.

It may be funny to you motherfucker, but it’s not funny to me.

Innocent people do not delay justice.

Donald Trump found guilty as fuck – May 30, 2024!

Jack be nimble, jack be quick, hurry up and indict this prick.

President Musk and Trump are both poorly raised, coddled 8 year old boys.

Disappointing to see gov. newsom with his finger to the wind.

Mobile Menu

  • Seattle Meet-up Post
  • 2025 Activism
  • Targeted Political Fundraising
  • Donate with Venmo, Zelle & PayPal
  • Site Feedback
  • War in Ukraine
  • Submit Photos to On the Road
  • Politics
  • On The Road
  • Open Threads
  • Topics
  • COVID-19
  • Authors
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Lexicon
  • Our Store
  • Politics
  • Open Threads
  • 2025 Activism
  • Garden Chats
  • On The Road
  • Targeted Fundraising!
You are here: Home / Open Threads / Open Chili Thread

Open Chili Thread

by John Cole|  November 13, 200512:42 pm| 49 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads

FacebookTweetEmail

I made chili last night, and I am having a bowl (after some tomatoes, mozerella, and basil- weird combo, right?), and thought maybe you all had some chili recipes you might want to share. This batch was so good, I think I am going to make another batch next weekend, so if you have anything interesting, let me know.

FacebookTweetEmail
Previous Post: « Another Piece In The Puzzle
Next Post: Hello Dalai »

Reader Interactions

49Comments

  1. 1.

    aop

    November 13, 2005 at 12:48 pm

    Put it on top of Fritos.

  2. 2.

    Otto Man

    November 13, 2005 at 12:57 pm

    White bean chicken chili.

    Boil 3 chicken breasts for 20 minutes. Pull the chicken breasts apart and add in 1 cup onion, 1.5 cups green peppers, 3 cans of northern beans, 1 tsp red pepper, 2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp oregano, and 2.5 cups chicken broth. Put everything in a stock pot and simmer 3 hours.

    Trust me on this one.

  3. 3.

    rilkefan

    November 13, 2005 at 12:58 pm

    Hope you’re not cooking with basilisk. Nasty stuff, even in chili.

  4. 4.

    Eural

    November 13, 2005 at 1:19 pm

    Here’s mine – open can with new-fangled pop-top technology; pour into bowl; microwave for 2-4 minutes (stirring occassionaly); add ground pepper or Texas Pete to taste. BTW this works well with spaghetti too. Just make the pasta, pour the sauce flavor of your choice over it, add some cheese slices on top and microwave for about a minute. It melts the cheese and heats the sauce! Just like my old Italian Grandma used to make!

  5. 5.

    Otto Man

    November 13, 2005 at 2:38 pm

    Here’s mine – open can…

    Blasphemer.

  6. 6.

    Perry Como

    November 13, 2005 at 2:56 pm

    All good chili starts with a good chili powder:

    (all dried, stems and seed removed)

    2 New Mexico Red
    1 Guajillo
    10 Pequin
    2 Puya
    3 Arbol

    2 tbs. cumin seed

    Take above ingredients and put in a dry skillet over medium-low heat. Cook over heat, shaking on occassion, until the cumin is fragrent. Remove from heat and let cool completely.

    Once cool add all ingredients from the skillet to a blender with:

    2 tbs. garlic powder
    1 tbs. oregano

    Blend until you have a powder.

  7. 7.

    Richard Bennett

    November 13, 2005 at 3:50 pm

    Chili is a simple food, with five essential ingregients: Ancho peppers, cubed or coarse-ground beef, onions, beer, and cumin. Use 3-4 Anchos per lb of beef, plus one TB of cumin and one tsp of salt.

    Here’s a link to my famous on-line recipe.

    Note: tomatoes and beans have no place in chili, and if you can get the beef of a Texas Longhorn steer it adds a certain beefy essence to the red.

  8. 8.

    Caroline

    November 13, 2005 at 3:55 pm

    Use black beans instead of kidney beans. It gives your chili a whole different tast. Much better, imo.

  9. 9.

    Lauren

    November 13, 2005 at 4:03 pm

    You inspired me to make my own chili tonight. I’ll be using the very last of my cherry bombs and jalapenos.

  10. 10.

    HankP

    November 13, 2005 at 4:10 pm

    My favorite chili:

    20 to 30 Peppers – a mix of sweet and hot peppers, adjust to taste. For best results, roast and peel first.
    1 large (4 inch) onion
    1/2 lb cubed beef or coarse ground beef
    1/2 lb sausage, sliced
    6 cloves garlic, chopped
    1 bottle beer – the more hops, the better.
    1 can white beans
    1 can red beans
    1 can black beans

    Cook sausage and beef. Saute onion, peppers and garlic. Throw it all in a large, covered pot and cook on low for 2 – 6 hours. The longer it sits, the better it gets.

  11. 11.

    Johno

    November 13, 2005 at 4:45 pm

    My wife’s a vegetarian, so I have spent ten years perfecting a very spicy and complex veggie chili that just sort of… kicks all ass. Seriously folks. Although it lacks meat and is therefore “not chili,” it’s still really, really, really good.

    Cincinnatti-style Vegetarian Chili

    1 pound (about 3 cups) pinto beans, picked over and rinsed.
    2 cups finely chopped onion
    2 cups finely chopped bell pepper (chile peppers of any variety may be substituted for part of total)
    6-8 cloves minced garlic
    1-2 chopped canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (optional)
    4 teaspoons dried oregano
    2 teaspoons dried thyme
    3 tablespoons chili powder
    2 tablespoons ground cumin
    1 teaspoon cocoa powder
    1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
    1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
    1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
    1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed saffron threads
    (optional additions- red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, Dave’s Insanity Sauce)
    8 ounces malty beer (Dos Equis, Tecate, Negro Modelo, Sam Adams, Bass)
    1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, crushed in their juice
    1 1/2 cups frozen corn
    1/3 cup pearl barley
    salt to taste

    In a large stock pot, put beans on to cook in 10 cups water. Bring to boil and reduce heat to simmer. Add 1 tsp salt. Cook gently until tender. Drain beans and reserve the broth.

    In another large stock pot, sweat onion and bell pepper in vegetable oil with a little salt over medium heat until onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and chipotle pepper and cook 3 minutes more.

    Add all the herbs and spices and cook 3 minutes more, stirring frequently.

    Add tomatoes, beer, beans and barley. Add enough bean broth to cover everything well. (Reserve remaining broth to add if necessary.) Taste for seasoning.

    Reduce heat to a simmer and cook partially covered for at least 1 hour, preferably for 2-4. Cover if liquid reduces too much. Add corn about 1/2 hour before finish.

    This chili is rather spicy at first thanks to the chipotles, but calms down significantly after a stay in the fridge. Naturally, it’s better the next day.

  12. 12.

    Steve S

    November 13, 2005 at 5:10 pm

    No discussion of Chili would be complete without this. Of course the youngin Republicans today don’t even know who this man is, they’ve so abandoned his principles. Sigh…

    Senator Barry Goldwater’s Arizona Chili

    1 pound coarsely ground beef
    1 pound dried pinto beans (soak overnight in water)
    1 can (6oz) tomato paste
    2 cups onions — chopped
    1/2 cup water
    3 tablespoons hot unspiced chili powder
    1 tablespoon ground cumin

    Brown beef in skillet and drain off excess grease. Add pinto beans, the tomato puree and onions. Into the water mix chili powder, cumin and salt. Add spices to meat mixture, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until meat is tender. Serves four to six.

  13. 13.

    Steve S

    November 13, 2005 at 5:10 pm

    Oh yeah… and I like sour cream in my chili. yum yum!

  14. 14.

    Eve M.

    November 13, 2005 at 5:26 pm

    Whatever the recipe, serve the chili over sticky white rice!

  15. 15.

    rilkefan

    November 13, 2005 at 5:34 pm

    Richard Bennett, kudos on the metric ruler and the clear discussion of ingredients, but I was not in the mood for the Wendy-Carlos-plays-the-Lone-Ranger-Theme soundtrack.

    Damn, I just made waffles from scratch, but what I really want is to get some anchos and cook up a pot of chili. And maybe even pour it over a baked potato along with sour cream.

  16. 16.

    Perry Como

    November 13, 2005 at 5:46 pm

    1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed saffron threads

    That is very odd.

  17. 17.

    Perry Como

    November 13, 2005 at 6:04 pm

    Here’s a rough guideline for my favorite chili (versus authentic):

    1 lbs. Chuck, cubed
    1 lbs. Sirloin, cubed
    .5 lbs. Shell steak, cubed (cubed baby can be substituted if you are a Democrat)

    I grind my own beef, so mix up the cubed meat as evenly as possible and grind to a coarse texture.

    1 large onion, chopped
    Celery, chopped (half as much as the onion)
    1 green pepper, chopped
    1 head of garlic, pressed

    Combine the vegetables and sautee in olive oil until onions are translucent. Add the ground beef and brown. Add some salt and pepper. Drain the mixture and return to pan.

    Turn stove to medium-high heat and add a bottle of dark beer. Let it come to a boil and add a bay leaf, some beef or chicken stock, one can of tomatoes (crushed as you put them in), a dose of chili powder and some cumin. Turn the heat down and simmer covered for an hour.

    After the hour is up add another heapin’ helpin’ of chili powder. Cook uncovered for 30 minutes then taste. Add salt and pepper as necessary. You can leave this on low for a few hours if you want, and add more stock if it starts to dry out.

    About 15 minutes before serving, add a tablespoon of fine ground corn meal. Stir to thicken. 5 minutes before serving add 1 tbs. of vinegar.

    Grab a beer, grab your gun, and grab your chili.

  18. 18.

    DougJ

    November 13, 2005 at 6:48 pm

    For a bunch of America-hating traitors, you guys have good taste in chili. Frankly, I expected a lot of you to use latte in your recipes.

  19. 19.

    Mac

    November 13, 2005 at 7:47 pm

    I cannot stress this enough, There are no Beans in real Chili!
    Adding beans makes it a casserole with or without heat.
    My brother and I wrote a cookbook about 15 years ago entitled Real Mens Guide to Cooking Hotter Than The Hinges of Hell. Its got several chili recipes, and not a bean in sight. Not much tomato either.

  20. 20.

    Steve S

    November 13, 2005 at 8:13 pm

    Chili has beans in it. People who claim it doesn’t are talking about something other than chili, like maybe that crap we feed the hogs.

  21. 21.

    RSA

    November 13, 2005 at 8:57 pm

    For a bunch of America-hating traitors, you guys have good taste in chili. Frankly, I expected a lot of you to use latte in your recipes.

    I’ve been looking for a good French recipe for chili, but haven’t found one yet.

    A question for the grind-it-yourself crowd: I assume that the risk of contamination is much lower than for store-bought ground beef, but are there any other precautions worth taking?

  22. 22.

    Louise

    November 13, 2005 at 9:31 pm

    No way am I sharing my secret Cincinnati chili recipe with you heathen. I’ll just say that if you worship at the shrine of Skyline, then you’d be a happy congregant at my house.

  23. 23.

    Perry Como

    November 13, 2005 at 10:21 pm

    I’ve been looking for a good French recipe for chili, but haven’t found one yet.

    It would probably involve cognac, fish, cheese and a white flag for decoration.

    I assume that the risk of contamination is much lower than for store-bought ground beef, but are there any other precautions worth taking?

    It’s much safer than the pre-packaged store bought stuff. There’s a halal butcher around the corner, so I buy most of my meat from terrorists. With the stringent butchering guidelines, I’m not worried about contamintion. I’m only worried if there will be homicide bomb tied around my porterhouse.

  24. 24.

    Richard Bennett

    November 13, 2005 at 10:28 pm

    …Wendy-Carlos-plays-the-Lone-Ranger-Theme soundtrack

    That’s actually “What a Friend We Have in Jesus”.

    We buy a side of grass-fed beef every year direct from the rancher, and get it all cut to our specifications, including 25% of the ground done in a chili grind. This is way more efficient that cubing.

    As for the beans, there’s nothing too Communist about serving a bowl of pinto beans as a side to the chili, but they should never be cooked in the same vessel with the chili, as the laws of chemistry don’t permit this infraction.

  25. 25.

    demimondian

    November 13, 2005 at 10:43 pm

    I assume that the risk of contamination is much lower than for store-bought ground beef, but are there any other precautions worth taking?

    Be careful? Clean all surfaces which will touch raw meat thoroughly before and after grinding the burger?

    Turn vegetarian? Yeah, I could never manage to do that, either. I missed meat too much, even after a year without.

    Here’s a challenge to you do-it-yourselfers out there: steak tartare. Richard McGee suggests a clever hack: take a large, solid piece of muscle and blanch it in boiling water for thirty seconds. Grind up the resulting object; the surface of the beef will have been sterilized by the blanching, and the cooked flavor of the surface will be overwhelmed by the rest of the meat. Does anybody have a better solution?

  26. 26.

    demimondian

    November 13, 2005 at 10:46 pm

    Perry (Lake) Como says…

    1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed saffron threads

    That is very odd.

    And half a pound cubed baby isn’t? You must know different Democrats than I do.

  27. 27.

    DougJ

    November 13, 2005 at 11:03 pm

    Why aren’t we hearing the good news about baby-eating?

  28. 28.

    Steve S

    November 13, 2005 at 11:14 pm

    If you use Saffron, you’re supporting terrorists in Iran.

  29. 29.

    Jim Allen

    November 14, 2005 at 8:39 am

    A note regarding the vegetarian chili —

    Vegetables are not food. Vegetables are what food eats.

    Thank you.

  30. 30.

    Krista

    November 14, 2005 at 9:02 am

    after some tomatoes, mozerella, and basil- weird combo, right?),

    Not a weird combo in the least. Next time, try slicing a little bit of goat cheese onto the tomato slices, sprinkle it with a bit of pepper, throw some basil on it, and serve it on a Carr’s water biscuit. Believe me, it’s a party in your mouth.

    No recommendations for chili recipes…I’m one of those heathen Northerners who puts beans in her chili.

  31. 31.

    demimondian

    November 14, 2005 at 9:21 am

    Vegetables are what food eats.

    Is that why we feed strained vegetable to babies?

  32. 32.

    Krista

    November 14, 2005 at 9:39 am

    demimondian – that was a close one. I almost sprayed coffee all over my laptop, but managed to turn my head in time.

    Beautifully done.

  33. 33.

    Johno

    November 14, 2005 at 9:54 am

    Aw jeez,

    A note regarding the vegetarian chili—
    Vegetables are not food. Vegetables are what food eats.

    Killjoys like you would deny vegetarians like my wife (who has always had trouble digesting meat (like bad trouble with pain)) the joy of enjoying a substance that is much like, though not the same as, what doctrinaires would dub “chili.”

    You probably eat babies and hate our freedom, too. Why do you hate our freedom?

    If it makes ya feel better (cuz apparently my saffron and beans have damaged sensibilities (an’ I care so deeply about that)) you can toss in a pound of ground cow’s flank, a pound of ground pork, and a half a pound of whatever the hell you want, turkey, veal, hot eye-talian sausage, whatever and brown that real good before doing anything else with the vegetables and the weird spices. If it makes you feel better. It sure tastes great, but everybody and their brother has a good meat-chili recipe. Even if mine is better.

    And if chili must- just must- contain meat and no beans, you can call my concoction “American Hippie Treehugger No-Meat Non-Food Bean Curry” if you wanna, too. It don’t change the fact that it’s gooood American Hippie Treehugger No-Meat Non-Food Bean Curry. With saffron. (Which I admit is weird, but really brings some depth to the party.)

    And just so I’ve covered all my bases here… *Ahem*

    Stones not Beatles, Paul not John, pork barbecue not beef, pulled pork not ribs, South Carolina vinegar and pepper sauce not that sweet crap, charcoal not propane, Browns not Steelers, briefs not boxers, Ginger not Marianne, tastes great not less filling, and Yuengling in the keg not Iron City in the can.

  34. 34.

    Krista

    November 14, 2005 at 10:10 am

    Johno – don’t worry about it. I know a lot of people who have that same attitude. A meal is not a meal without a hunk of dead animal. Don’t get me wrong — I enjoy dead animal. But there’s nothing wrong with die-hard carnivores challenging their palates every once in a blue moon. It might even give their poor, overworked colons a rest.

  35. 35.

    Buddy

    November 14, 2005 at 10:35 am

    I’ve found that a pretty essential (often missing) ingredient in good chili is Masa Flour. It not only thickens things a bit, but adds a subtle flavor that you can’t get otherwise. I also usually buy a chuck roast, and use the food processor to shred it (cut it into 2” cubes and pulse process until it’s a course chop)

    Now on to the ‘controversial.’ While most chili freaks show their ignorance by saying real chili has no beans or onions or tomatoes, etc, what they really mean is authentic chili con carne (and I use this loosely – as the ‘tradition’ is debatable) traditionally has none of these things. To the contrary there are MANY similar southwestern dishes that do, in fact, include beans, onions, tomatoes, rabbit, chicken, or anything else that you can get into the pot, etc. I do not limit my cooking of chilies to just this narrow view, so here we go.

    I love Spanish Sweet Onions (or vidalias, if you must, they are just a variant of this type of onion, Spanish sweets have a bit more bite, IMO) good fresh ground cumin, and good chilies or fresh chili powder, and some Spanish pimenton (sweet paprika), and Mexican oregano (Marjoram). Fresh, overripe tomatoes belong in Chili, too, by way of a traditional recipe chili colorado which at one time referred both to a sauce of fresh red chili peppers and a stew made from them, usually of chicken, which often included tomatoes and onions. Again it’s maybe not ‘authentic’ con carne according to the chili freaks, but more than authentic, regionally and gastronomically speaking. Again, I’m not limiting to West Texas ‘Con Carne’ so chili covers a lot of area here.

    Personally I like beans in my chili, too. There are plenty of examples of beans in early chili, and they were a primary staple of chuckwagon anyway, so there’s no reason to think they weren’t added into that pot. I realize they aren’t ‘bona fide’ but frankly I think that is as silly as the people in East NC who freak out if you put tomatoes in your BBQ sauce — and I love East NC BBQ, its just the ‘righteous zeal’ against ‘corrupting the recipe’ is somewhat misplaced, in my opinion. I like black beans, but YMMV.

    Also, a good beer added into the mix helps chili along quite nicely.

    As far as ‘authentic’ goes, I mean if you wanna get ‘accurate’ then you should probably be using dried beef in your friggin chili, too and cook it over a mesquite fire (which actually, the smoke adds a subtle complexity, but I digress). Food Nazis are annoying.

    P.S. saffron is not wierd. It’s actually quite spanish. Mexicans would have probably used safflower, as it was the Continental American equivilent of saffron, but it really doesn’t have the flavor saffron has. Also the best saffron is from Spain, although Iran does make the vast majority of the saffron on the market.

  36. 36.

    demimondian

    November 14, 2005 at 10:38 am

    And if chili must- just must- contain meat and no beans, you can call my concoction “American Hippie Treehugger No-Meat Non-Food Bean Curry” if you wanna, too. It don’t change the fact that it’s gooood American Hippie Treehugger No-Meat Non-Food Bean Curry.

    For those of you who don’t feed teenagers, I will merely inform you that the eldest of the demi-offspring refuses to eat vegetarian curry — but has, on many occasions, eaten one or another “beans simmered in a turmeric, fenugreek, garlic, chilli, and ginger sauce”.

    He’s smart enough, though, that I don’t know if the joke is on him or on me that he’ll eat it if I call it by a different name. Either way, I’m afraid to ask.

  37. 37.

    demimondian

    November 14, 2005 at 10:43 am

    Mexicans would have probably used safflower, as it was the Continental American equivilent of saffron, but it really doesn’t have the flavor saffron has.

    (Demimondian turns serious for a moment…) Really? Now that is cool!

    In what climate does safflower grow? Can we grow it during a cool wet summer?

  38. 38.

    Krista

    November 14, 2005 at 10:45 am

    Food Nazis are annoying, although I will confess to being mildly disgusted at the whole “Manhattan Clam Chowder” thing. A tomato base instead of a cream base? Eat it if you like, but I think it’s kind of weird…

  39. 39.

    Krista

    November 14, 2005 at 10:49 am

    Safflower production is not recommended for areas with more than 15 in. of annual precipitation or growing seasons with fewer than 120 frost-free days and less than 2,200 growing degree days. Temperatures as low as 20°F are tolerated by plants while in the rosette stage, but safflower is very sensitive to frost injury after stem elongation until crop maturity. This crop does best in areas with warm temperatures and sunny, dry conditions during the flowering and seed-filling periods. Yields are lower under humid or rainy conditions since seed set is reduced and the occurrence of leaf spot and head rot diseases increases. Consequently, this crop is adapted to semiarid regions. Most areas of Minnesota and Wisconsin are not well suited for safflower.

    I think you might be out of luck, demi. Sounds like my misbegotten attempt to grow peanuts in Nova Scotia.

  40. 40.

    Buddy

    November 14, 2005 at 10:52 am

    I think they are more or less talking about crop viable production for mass market. I’d guess you should be able to grow it for personal use in Wisconsin, et al (especially if you greenhouse it or grow it indoors like you would most other herbs)

    I’ve never thought about it. I just buy saffron, its so much better :-P Safflower has the color with none of the flavor.

  41. 41.

    physics geek

    November 14, 2005 at 11:39 am

    I’m not a vegetarian, but I do make a damn good vegetarian chili. Here’s the recipe:

    2 T Olive oil
    1/2 c Carrots, sliced
    2 c Onions, chopped
    1 t Basil leaves
    1 c corn(frozen,fresh)
    1/2 c Celery, slcied
    1/4 t Ground black pepper
    1/2 c Green pepper, chopped
    2 ea Jalapeno peppers, mince

    1 T Chili powder
    1 T Ground cumin
    1 t Oregano leaves
    1/4 t Garlic powder
    1/2 t Salt
    1/8 t Cayenne pepper

    1 ea 15 oz can kidney beans,drain
    1 ea 16 oz can black beans, drain
    1 ea 15 oz can pinto beans, drain

    2 ea 28 oz cans italian-style plum tomatoes(ones with garlic, oregano and basil are fine, too)

    1 T Lemon juice
    Grated monetery jack cheese
    sliced green onions

    Heat oil; add onions, celery, carrots and green peppers. Saute 5 minutes.

    Add corn; saute 5 minutes. Add jalapeno peppers, tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, oregano, basil, salt, pepper, garlic and cayenne; mix well, breaking up tomatoes. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add kidney beans, black beans and pinto beans; simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in
    lemon juice before serving. Top each serving with grated cheese and onions.

    Note: It will taste better if you simmer it for about an hour. Just an FYI.

  42. 42.

    Mac

    November 14, 2005 at 11:44 am

    Food Nazi? Food Nazi! No Chili for You!
    Why I oughtta…
    Chili Con Carne, is something that started with Nalleys, or Hunt’s. They made a bean casserole with chilis and then, as an afterthought, threw in some pathetic ground up road kill and called it “con Carne”. More likely they were making baked beans and someone threw in some chili sauce instead of ketchup by mistake. BTW they used tomato as a base cause “real” Americans, folks who find eggwhites a little too spicy, just couldn’t stand the thought of a bowl of red that didn’t have tomatoes. Too Hot they cried, Waaah, it burns my widdle tounge. To which I say, Tough.
    Get a clue America. You can make a chili without beans and without tomatoes, and without flour, that is red, flavorful and thick. And just as hot as you like, from just a hint to burn your ass for a week. Lean about Pepper powders from Pasilla to Habanero. Dredge the meat in a mild chili powder before browning in a little oil. Thickens it right up and becomes a lovely red. Spice to taste. Use Onions and Garlic and Cumin and even green peppers. Use Pork, and Chicken, and Beef, and Buffalo, and Squirrel, and Rabbit, and Deceased family pets if you want, I don’t recommend it, but you could.
    But Beans…
    Beans were a staple in the old west. Hell they still are. They are easy to prepare on the trail on a chuck wagon. Soak starting in the morning, leave it alone all day,and by evening, after a hour of cooking, a pleasant side dish. Beans are hard to mess up. And they taste pretty good mashed and fried (quickly reheated) up the next day(refried beans, heard of them?). Raise your hand if you have tried to fry beans for the first time. Jumpy little suckers. You end up with a pan full of little carbon blocks, hard and not so easy to chew. But as for Beans in Chili…
    I must admit that I have had some interesting veggie “chili”, with and without Tofu. As a hot veggie stew/soup they are tasty. Adding beans makes it a tasty bean casserole, again not bad, but not Chili.
    When did you ever see a can that said Chili con Frijoles?
    Adding beans is like having a prime rib wrapped in Baloney. You “can” do it, but ya gotta ask why?
    And forget about you folks in Cincinnati. Chili with beans on spaghetti?
    If this makes me a Food Nazi, well, Heil Habanero!

  43. 43.

    demimondian

    November 14, 2005 at 12:19 pm

    Chill out, Mac. Not liking beans in your chili doesn’t make you a food Nazi.

    Just wrong.

  44. 44.

    Perry Como

    November 14, 2005 at 2:02 pm

    P.S. saffron is not wierd.

    I question its usefulness in a pot full of spicy peppers and cumin. Saffron has a subtle flavor. It seems it would be masked by the intense flavors founds in chili.

  45. 45.

    Buddy

    November 14, 2005 at 2:08 pm

    Actually having beans in your chili is like having prime rib wrapped in bacon. It’s not wrong, just ‘different’

    Not liking beans in your chili doesn’t make you a food Nazi. Regulating those who like to experiment with food a bit to idiot status does. (That goes for the East-West NC BBQ argument too, which is probably more tedious than the chili debate. :-P)

    Not to mention chili with beans has been around for a very, very, long time. Presuming San Antonio is part of Texas, it’s even ‘authentic Texas chili’ circa 1877 anyway, which is one of the earliest mentions of chili I’ve seen. ‘Texas Red’ as it is traditionally made today was prison food. That doesn’t make it bad, though, just different. Now tofu? Urgh no, that is blasphemy. Tofu is just nasty, period.

    Me? I don’t really like bacon (or bologna) on my steaks. Nor marinades. If the meat is good, you don’t need all that crap, just coarse salt and pepper. Some people like marinades, blah blah, and to them, I say more power. Whatever flips your taste buds. In the same vein, Texas Red is a nice base just waiting to be tinkered with. It ain’t sacrosanct, heck, its just food.

    P.S. Habaneros Suck. All hot and no flavor.
    :-D

  46. 46.

    Jim Allen

    November 14, 2005 at 2:11 pm

    Johno, my heart goes out to your wife — involuntary vegetarianism, of course, is not the same thing as choosing it as a lifestyle.

    I certainly do not hate our freedom, and I definitely do not eat babies. Well, veal, maybe. And lamb chops, of course. And eggs, too, if you want to stretch the definition somewhat.

    And, for the record, Beatles *and* Stones, John before Paul, but George before them both, and boxers, not briefs; I’m with you on pork barbecue not beef, pulled pork not ribs, South Carolina vinegar and pepper sauce not that sweet crap, charcoal not propane, Ginger not Marianne, and Yuengling in the keg not Iron City in the can. Especially if Sam Adams or a handcrafted microbrew is unavailable.

    No opinion on Browns vs. Steelers (die-hard Redskins fan — I have my own set of issues to work out). As for “tastes great vs less filling”, lite beer of any kind is the devil’s handiwork.

  47. 47.

    Buddy

    November 14, 2005 at 2:19 pm

    “I question its usefulness in a pot full of spicy peppers and cumin. Saffron has a subtle flavor. It seems it would be masked by the intense flavors founds in chili.”

    Maybe so. I’d rather use it in my rice. That’s not to say it might not add a subtle complexity to chili, but it would seem to be somewhat a waste, really, I suppose. It wouldn’t be masked as much if it was added right near the end, I’d guess.

    Cumin, garlic, and Saffron go well together, in general, though. It’s a very Spanish (Castilian mainland)/Moorish combination that made its way to Mexico, etc.

  48. 48.

    Johno

    November 14, 2005 at 3:15 pm

    Saffron’s flavor is subtle but still strong and pervasive, and it comes through nicely at the end of the flavor in my recipe. In fact, I’d caution against using more unless it overpowers the dish and becomes metallic.

    Either way, there’s so much flavor-noise in there already, what with the herbs, chili powder, cumin, coriander, allspice, cinnamon, and cocoa (all of which support each other rather than stand out), that I tried using the unexpected hit of saffron to fill in an aromatic and bright note that sets off the complexities of all the other flavors and makes them less overwhelming. And it works, too. My American Hippie Treehugger No-Meat Non-Food Bean Curry might not be a bowl of Texas red (what can I say… born in Ohio, live in The People’s Republic of Massachusetts), and it might be (optionally) meatless, but it ain’t shy.

  49. 49.

    Mac

    November 14, 2005 at 4:39 pm

    Fine.
    Eat beans in your Chili.
    Here is one atheist for world peace that has a different view. My morals and Taste maybe in question, but I do have to quote the poet from long ago, my Dad I think,

    Beans, Beans the musical fruit,
    the more you eat the more you toot,

    The more you toot the better you feel,
    so lets have beans at every meal!

    Heathens.

Comments are closed.

Primary Sidebar

Image by HinTN (5/22/25)

Recent Comments

  • They Call Me Noni on Proof of Live – Ohio Meetup (May 22, 2025 @ 5:40pm)
  • Ruckus on Update: Kilmar Abrego Garcia: ‘Keep Him Where He Is’ (May 22, 2025 @ 5:37pm)
  • Jay on Update: Kilmar Abrego Garcia: ‘Keep Him Where He Is’ (May 22, 2025 @ 5:37pm)
  • Bill Arnold on Update: Kilmar Abrego Garcia: ‘Keep Him Where He Is’ (May 22, 2025 @ 5:33pm)
  • catclub on Update: Kilmar Abrego Garcia: ‘Keep Him Where He Is’ (May 22, 2025 @ 5:31pm)

PA Supreme Court At Risk

Donate

Balloon Juice Posts

View by Topic
View by Author
View by Month & Year
View by Past Author

Featuring

Medium Cool
Artists in Our Midst
Authors in Our Midst
War in Ukraine
Donate to Razom for Ukraine

🎈Keep Balloon Juice Ad Free

Become a Balloon Juice Patreon
Donate with Venmo, Zelle or PayPal

Meetups

Upcoming Ohio Meetup May 17
5/11 Post about the May 17 Ohio Meetup

Calling All Jackals

Site Feedback
Nominate a Rotating Tag
Submit Photos to On the Road
Balloon Juice Anniversary (All Links)
Balloon Juice Anniversary (All Posts)
Fix Nyms with Apostrophes

Hands Off! – Denver, San Diego & Austin

Social Media

Balloon Juice
WaterGirl
TaMara
John Cole
DougJ (aka NYT Pitchbot)
Betty Cracker
Tom Levenson
David Anderson
Major Major Major Major
DougJ NYT Pitchbot
mistermix

Keeping Track

Legal Challenges (Lawfare)
Republicans Fleeing Town Halls (TPM)
21 Letters (to Borrow or Steal)
Search Donations from a Brand

PA Supreme Court At Risk

Donate

Site Footer

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Comment Policy
  • Our Authors
  • Blogroll
  • Our Artists
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2025 Dev Balloon Juice · All Rights Reserved · Powered by BizBudding Inc

Share this ArticleLike this article? Email it to a friend!

Email sent!