How to Make Chili

• by Mike D'Alonzo
• Also try: Chili

Introduction

• There are few foods as All-American as a hearty bowl of chili. From Texas to Cincinnati, from New England to California, there are as many different types of chili as there are people who make it. Artistic interpretation is a must when it comes to serving up a delicious bowl of chili goodness, but it doesn’t have to be a mystery to make. In fact, it can be deceptively easy!

Choose Your Chili

• There are many different variables and different recipes for a good bowl of chili. First, however, it’s important to make a few key decisions that will govern what sort of chili you’re going to make.

1. Will it be a traditional bowl of red, tomato-based chili?
2. A white chili?
3. Beans or no beans?
4. Meatless?

• No matter what you decide, it’s possible to make a really good pot of the stuff. But, let’s discuss some of the more popular variations on the theme.

Chili Con Carne

• What most people think of when they hear the word chili is a steaming bowl of meat-laden joy, spiced with chili peppers and other spices. This is the traditional chili con carne, the official dish of the state of Texas.

• Early chili con carne recipes included only meat and chili peppers, flavored with suet. As time went on, people began adding other things, such as tomatoes and onions, the most popular recipe being Pedernales River Chili, named after Lyndon B. Johnson’s ranch in Texas.

Cincinnati-Style Chili

• Meanwhile, in the wilds of Ohio, Midwesterners have enjoyed their own style of chili for years and years. In fact, there are more chili parlors in Ohio than anywhere else in the world.

• Different in its construction and consistency, Cincinnati-style chili is a looser, less pepper-based concoction. It is used mostly as a topping for spaghetti or hot dogs, the most well known of which is the world-famous Skyline Chili.

White Chili

• Made with white beans and usually chicken parts, white chili is fairly recent to the chili party, but has many recipes to its credit, including one reportedly credited to country superstar Willie Nelson.

A Word on Beans

• One of the most hotly debated chili issues is the use of beans within chili. According to the International Chili Society, beans are expressly forbidden to be used in a pot of chili. Since, however, we’re not cooking in competition, we won’t tell anyone if you decide to crack open a can of kidneys to stretch your recipe.

What You'll Need

• For the purposes of this demonstration, we’re going to be making a red, tomato-based chili. First, let’s get the ingredients together.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. Ground beef
• 1 lb. Ground pork
• 1 8oz. Can tomato sauce (or Ro-Tel Tomatoes with Chile)
• 2 Bottles of your favorite beer (OPTIONAL)
• 2 Cups plus ½ cup water
• 1 Tbsp Cumin
• 1 Tbsp Oregano
• 1 Tbsp Paprika
• 1 Tsp Cinnamon
• Onion, garlic powder, and salt to taste
• 2 Tbsp Masa flour

For Vegetarian Chili

• Replace the meat in the above recipe with one, or a combination of the following, to make a total of three cups, chopped:

• Portobello mushrooms
• Zucchini
• Corn kernels
• Squash
• Bell pepper

Equipment:

• Large Dutch oven or stockpot w/lid
• Can opener
• 1 large mixing bowl
• 1 large mixing spoon
• 1 small bowl
• Wire whisk
• Bowls for serving

Additional Options

To Top With Chili:

• Tortilla chips
• Spaghetti
• Rice
• Hot dogs
• Hamburgers

To Top Chili With:

• Chopped onions
• Shredded cheese (Jack or cheddar works best)
• Sour cream
• Fresh cilantro
• Lime

Instructions For Making Standard Red Chili

• Prep Time: About 15 minutes
• Cooking Time: About 45 minutes

1. Mix ground beef and ground pork in mixing bowl to incorporate them. Do not overmix. (If the meat is mixed to a pasty consistency, it will brown as one lump. We want crumbles!) NOTE: For vegetarian chili, substitute vegetables for meat, and sautee until the vegetables sweat before adding the liquid below.
2. Add the meat mixture to the Dutch oven or stockpot and brown on medium heat until meat is no longer pink. This should take about five minutes.
3. Drain fat from the meat.
4. Add 2 cups water, one of the beers, and 8 oz. tomato sauce to mixture. Stir to incorporate. (Note: If not using beer, you can use the equivalent amount of water, or add a little beef broth for flavor)
5. Add spices to mixture, and bring chili to a gentle boil. Stir again.
6. Turn heat down to let chili simmer. Add second bottle of beer. Stir.
7. Stir and cover chili, and let simmer for at least 30 minutes.
8. In a separate bowl, whisk together Masa flour and ½ cup water to make a slurry.The consistency of the slurry should be mostly liquid. If too thick, add more water and whisk.
9. Add flour/water mixture to chili and cook through to eliminate flour taste. This should take two, maybe three minutes.

When Your Chili's Ready!

Serving Options

• Serve chili while hot. You can serve your chili on top of tortilla chips, spaghetti, rice, hot dogs, hamburgers, or all alone in a bowl. Toppings include chopped onions, cheese, sour cream, fresh cilantro, lime, anything you can think of to make your chili an awesome experience!

Storing Leftovers

• Refrigerate or freeze leftovers. Chili will keep in the refrigerator for a few days, frozen chili for a few months.

Other Recipes

• Here are some other chili recipes. Try them all and figure out which you like the best, or modify them and make your own.

Chili Con Carne

• Halftime Chili Recipe
• Tyler's Texas Chili
• Chili con Carne with Chili Cheddar Shortcakes

Vegetarian Chili

• Chunky Vegetarian Chili
• Insanely Easy Vegetarian Chili
• Spicy Vegetarian Chili

Seafood Chili

• Seafood Chili
• Cape Cod Seafood Chili
• Red Lobster Seafood Chili Recipe

Other Types of Chili

• Pork & Pinto Bean Chili
• Black Hole Chili
• Buffalo Chili

Resources for How To Make Chili

• WikiHow: How To Make Chili
• Texas Cooking.com: It’s Gotta Be Chili 
• International Chili Society: History of Chili
• Wikipedia: Chili Con Carne
• Luzianne.com: Taste of Luzianne
• About.com: Chili Recipes and Information 
• Epicurious.com: Chili Recipes
• Food Network.com Chili
• Martha Stewart.com Chili Recipes

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