From Cincinnati to San Antonio to Illinois to the Eastern Shore of Maryland, chili is one of the most popular dishes no matter the season. Traditionally, it has become a fall or winter sports staple. There are just about as many theories of how and where chili originated as there are unique family chili recipes. Its origins come from Mexico to be sure, but the time frame is often disputed. Some place it in the late 1700s, others place it in the early 1800s. Rodeos in Texas in the 1840s started to serve it for spectators as well as the cowboys there to perform. There were no set-in-stone ingredients back then; it was whatever the cook had a surplus of. Beef, venison or bison was usually the meat along with canned beans, tomatoes and whatever wild peppers could be found. Chili con carne was a traditional Mexican dish that combined meat with chili peppers; beans would also be added as a side dish not already mixed in.
It was said a cowboy who went south into Mexico driving cattle was in a hurry, so he mixed his chili con carne and beans together. That unknown moment was the invention of modern chili. The spread of chili throughout Texas and the nation began with the cattle drives of the mid-to-late 19th century. Every cattle drive had chili as a chuck wagon staple, since the native peppers and onions were abundant along the trails. But stories spread that the beef was too valuable and was limited to be used as food on the cattle drive, so extra protein came from a pot of beans alongside the chili pot. Around 1924 chili had made its way from Southwestern cattle drives to stores and kitchen tables across the United States thanks to the invention of packaged chili powder.
The cowboys then mixed the chili and beans together in a tin plate. It is said that some trail cooks planted pepper seeds, oregano and onions in mesquite patches to protect them from foraging cattle to use on future trail drives. The man generally credited with marketing the first commercial chili powder blends was D.C. Pendry. Pendry ran a Mexican grocery supply company in Texas where he began manufacturing and marketing his blend of chili powder in the late 1800s. The first recorded chili contest was conducted Oct. 4, 1952, at the State Fair of Texas. The contest was labeled as a world championship chili contest, and the rules stipulated no beans. Your columnist here prefers her chili with no beans as well! Chili soon became a favorite part of American culture.
CORNBREAD2 cups cornmeal or 1 1/2 cups cornmeal and 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. sugar (optional)
1 large egg (optional)
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees with the skillet inside. If you don’t have an iron skillet, you can use an uncovered Dutch oven or a metal cake pan. Whisk together all the dry ingredients (cornmeal, baking soda, salt, sugar if using) in a large bowl. In another bowl, beat the egg and buttermilk until combined, then mix that into the bowl of dry ingredients. Stir in the melted butter. When the oven is hot, take out the skillet. Add the cornbread batter and make sure it is evenly distributed in the skillet. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until the edges begin to brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean. Let the bread rest for 10 to 30 minutes in the skillet before cutting it into wedges and serving. Let the cornbread cool, then remove from the pan and wrap in plastic wrap or transfer to an airtight container. Store at room temp for 2 to 3 days.
VENISON CHILIPlace 1 lb. boneless cubed venison steak and 1 lb. pork sausage in a large skillet and cook, breaking with a wooden spoon as necessary, over medium heat until no longer pink. Drain grease and mix in 1 chopped onion, and 2 minced cloves of garlic and beans, drained, then cook for about 3 minutes. Drain and mix in one 6-oz. can tomato paste and season with hot pepper sauce, salt and black pepper to taste. Pour one 15-oz. can cannellini beans, drained, and one 10-oz. can diced tomatoes with chilies. Pour all of this in a slow cooker, adding the venison-sausage mixture in with the tomato-bean mixture. Cook 8 to 10 hours on low or 5 hours on high. Serve with shredded Cheddar cheese.
5-ALARM CHILIBrown one pound ground beef and 5 to 6 Italian sausages. Place meat in a large pot and add 2 chopped jalapeno peppers, 2 chopped banana peppers, 1 chopped orange pepper, 1 chopped red onion, 2 packages hot chili mix, one 16-oz. can kidney beans (undrained), one 16-oz. can chunked pineapple, and 2 cans diced tomatoes. Bring to a boil, turn back to a simmer and cook until desired consistency and beans and peppers are tender. Serve with sour cream and shredded Cheddar cheese. Don’t forget a nice square of the homemade cornbread.
CLASSIC CHILIRecipe from a 1981 graduate of Stephen Decatur High School.
Brown one pound of ground beef or turkey with 1/2 chopped onion, 3 stalks chopped celery, and 1 chopped green pepper, in a small amount of olive oil. Add 1 fresh garlic clove (crumbled) at the end of the browning process. Salt and pepper to taste. Add one 32-oz. can of crushed tomatoes, two 16-oz. cans of kidney beans, 1 can beer, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 3 tablespoons chili powder, cayenne pepper to taste and 1 tbsp. brown sugar, Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes. Serve with crackers or chips and shredded cheese.
WENDY’S CHILIIn a large skillet brown 2 pounds of fresh ground beef. Drain off fat and put the beef in a 6-qt. pot with 1 qt. of tomato juice, one 15-oz. can of tomato puree, one 15-oz. can of drained red kidney beans, one 15-oz. can drained pinto beans, one large chopped onion, 1/2 cup diced celery, 1/4 cup diced green pepper, 1/4 cup chili powder, 1 tsp. ground cumin, 1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, 1 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. dried oregano, 1/2 tsp. black pepper, and 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper. Cover and simmer for one hour, stirring often.
PAM’S CHILIPam told me that this is a very easy-to-make chili that her family uses whenever they want chili for any occasion. In a large skillet, on medium heat, place 1 1/2 lb. ground beef, 1/2 cup finely chopped onion and 1/2 cup finely chopped green bell pepper. Cook until beef is brown and vegetables are tender. Drain off excess fat. Add 1 1/2 tbsp. chili powder, 1 bay leaf (optional) and 1 tsp. sugar. Mix well, add 1/2 cup water, 3 medium diced tomatoes, 1 can tomato paste, 1/4 tsp. black pepper, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. oregano, and salt to taste. Bring this to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain two 16-oz. cans of kidney beans; add the beans, mix well, and simmer until beans are heated well. Serve with chips or corn bread and choice of grated cheese on top.
VEGETABLE CHILIBrown one pound of ground beef in a heavy pan. Add 4 stalks of chopped celery and 4 medium chopped onions with one pint of canned tomatoes. Place in a pressure cooker and cook on medium heat for 75 minutes in the cooker. Add one can of red chili beans and one envelope of dry chili seasoning. Taste for salt. Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.
CHILI DOGS1 tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 15-oz. can tomato sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
8 all-beef hot dogs
8 hot dog buns
Grated sharp cheddar cheese
Finely chopped red onion
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the beef, onion powder, garlic powder, kosher salt, and chili powder and cook until the beef is browned, mashing and breaking up any large pieces, about 8 minutes.
Add the tomato sauce, ketchup, and mustard and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 10 to 12 minutes to let the flavors melt. Meanwhile, grill the hot dogs. Heat an outdoor grill for direct, medium-high heat. Scrape the grill grates clean as needed. Place the hot dogs on the grill and grill until well-marked and heated through, about 2 minutes per side. Turn the heat off and gently toast the buns on the still-warm grill, about 2 minutes. To serve, place a hot dog in each bun and top with the chili, cheddar cheese, and red onions.
VEGGIE CHILI1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed, chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 jalapeño, finely chopped
1 tbsp. tomato paste
1 15.5-oz. can black beans, drained, rinsed
1 15.5-oz. can kidney beans, drained, rinsed
1 15.5-oz. can pinto beans, drained, rinsed
1 28-oz. can fire roasted tomatoes
3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
2 tbsp. chili powder
1 tbsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. dried oregano
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Shredded cheddar
Sour cream
Fresh cilantro, for serving
In a large pot over medium heat, heat oil. Add onion, bell pepper, and carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 7 to 9 minutes.
Add garlic and jalapeño and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomato paste and stir to coat vegetables. Add black beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, tomatoes, broth, chili powder, cumin, and oregano; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened and flavors are melded, about 30 minutes. Divide chili among bowls. Top with cheese, sour cream, and cilantro. Swap out the cilantro for scallions, add some hot sauce for an extra kick of heat, or give some crunch to your bowl with a handful of your favorite crackers. Add a second jalapeño or keep the seeds for even more spice.
