No one recipe for chili

There is no one recipe for chili. There is barely a definition that applies to most, much less all, and I rarely make the same chili twice, though there are certain ingredients I always include. You might say that chili was a process or a goal. For lots of recipes, check out this query result:

http://www.google.com/search?sclient=psy-ab&hl=en&site=&source=hp&q=chili+recipe+blog&btnG=Search

For myself, I'll note a few things that I do and don't do, then write up a sort of core recipe with a listing of some of the variables.

I don't much like white chili or any chili recipe that has chicken in the name. I love chicken in chili, but I want all the other ingredients to be the same as usual, not changed to adjust to the meat. Mostly the results are bad chicken soup instead of good chili.

I regularly adjust to local allergies and preferences, so many in the family that at times I have to make two or more batches of chili in parallel, with only a few initial ingredients in common. On the upside, it means those of us not limited by the applicable allergies get two or more chilis to try.

Needing to exclude tomatoes is the hardest and the results tend to taste more like a spicy shepherds pie or pasta-less cassarole. Still, other vegetables and more meat broth make a good substitution and a pleasant, spicy soup if not exactly what I think of as chili.

I usually use canned "chili" beans, prefering those made with brown beans to kidney or pinto beans. On the other hand, if I am making a bean chili, I'll start with the dried beans, usually mixed or black beans in place of the meat, and do the whole soak and cook thing from scratch. Otherwise you might as well be buying canned chili. We do that to, for quick meals, as a sauce over pasta or potato, but this is about making real chili...

Hotness is probably the biggest variable. We grow hot peppers but the climate isn't quite right for them to get really hot so we'll throw some in and if the acid burns my fingers, we'll throw in less, and if Mom is visiting, we won't add any to the tomato-free chili but extra to the other. Know your ingredients and your audience and adjust any recipe accordingly.

My "basic" recipe falls loosely into the "Cincinnati chili" category in that it includes cinnamon. I've never had chili in Cincinnati but I've had restaurant chili called that: mine is sweeter, less salty, and more hot.

We usually make enough for two meals both for ease in cooking and because we tend to eat it the day we cook it but it tastes better a day or two later when the spices have had a chance to steep in the chilled chili.

Pasta can be added if the whole is expected to be served and eaten immediately, but pasta in the chili will turn leftovers into chilimac and pasta will become overcooked on reheating. We usually prepare and serve pasta (elbow macaroni or spaghetti are traditional favorites) separately.

The recipe (all amounts guessed at, I don't so much measure as sniff to determine how much spice I need and all other ingredients vary with what's on hand and how many people will be at the first seating)

1-2 lbs meat (usually a pound of ground turkey plus ground beef, leftover chicken, or leftover roast)

1/2 large or 1 whole medium onion (preferably sweet or cooked long enough to make it sweet)

1 fresh tomato, 1-2 celery stalks, diced, other fresh vegis as available or suits the mood

fresh or frozen peppers including sweet bell, cayenne, jalapeno, chocolate habenero, chili, tobasco, or hot sauce or tobasco sauce in the absence of peppers

Spices: (typically 1 t. or more) chili powder (which is to say, ground dried chili peppers), turmeric, cumin, cilantro, cinnamon, and sometimes ginger. I might also add Chinese 5-spice blend to sweeten.

1/2 t. pepper or sweet pepper blend (mixed pepper corns, clove, allspice, fennel seed, mace, and other ingredients all ground together as a pepper substitute)

1-2 cans stewed tomatoes or 1 can and 1 can tomato paste

1 c. beans if being included in the chili

2-3 c water or broth

Other chili ingredients as the mood hits: lime juice and extra ginger brightens the taste for a summer chili, curry spice warms the tummy for winter weather, charred chili-corn, sliced olives, green beans as a substitute for brown beans, french style green beans as a substitute for pasta


In a hot deep pan with a little oil, brown the meat, deglaze the pan with up to 1/4 c. your favorite red wine, taquila, whiskey, or other alcohol or with a little broth. Add the fresh vegetables and fry a little (also called charring). Add spices. Deglaze with more of the liquid as desired. Add stewed tomatoes and/or tomato paste. (Add canned beans if desired). Add water or broth to cover. Bring to a boil, usually only a few minutes. Turn down to a simmer and cover. Cook at least 1 1/2 hrs. If stil very liquidy, tip lid slightly or open vent to allow steam to dissipate and continue heating another half hour. Serve hot or reheated. If it gets too thick, add a little red wine.

Serve with: sour cream, shredded cheese, fresh chopped chives, crackers or pan corn bread,