“Next to music there is nothing that lifts the spirits and strengthens the soul more than a good bowl of chili.” Harry James (1916-1983) band leader and trumpeter

There is something about chili that inspires a passion in people which few other foods can claim. It’s ironic that this common comfort food, made of simple ingredients, using basic methods, seems to provoke a certain culinary snobbishness. You never hear folks debating the proper method for making potato soup, or insisting that the beef stew found in their region is the only acceptable recipe. While Texas may be the original home of chili, it’s much too widespread to be considered a regional specialty like South Carolina’s Low Country Boil. In fact, rather than being a regional specialty, chili can be found all over the country, with many variations. Sometimes the availability of certain ingredients — such as venison — accounts for these differences, and sometimes a cultural influence is the culprit.

In Texas, chili is traditionally made with beef, or other meat, that has been chopped, rather than ground. True Texas chili contains no tomatoes or beans, or any vegetables other than peppers. In fact, the name chili con carne is a variation of the Spanish “chile con carne” which translates to “peppers with meat.” Many Texans are adamant that this is the only true chili and frown upon the addition of beans, tomatoes or, heaven forbid, pasta.

Cincinnati is famous for its version of chili, which involves the addition of cinnamon and chocolate, and is served over spaghetti on a plate. As if that isn’t odd enough, diners in Cincinnati must choose whether they want a “two-way” (chili over spaghetti), a “three-way” (chili over spaghetti, with cheese), a “four-way” (chili over spaghetti, with cheese, and onions) or a “five-way” (chili over spaghetti, with cheese, and onions, and beans). This code-talking stuff is great if you were raised there and know what it all means, but I’m afraid it would take more time for me to remember which “way” I needed to order than it would to rattle off all the toppings.

Around here, chili is most often a concoction of ground beef, tomatoes, beans and spices, with the optional addition of pasta. There’s no fancy ordering system, because there are no fancy options. Chili comes in a bowl — the end. Add cheese, sour cream, or whatever. It’s all good. We have a live-and-let-live philosophy when it comes to beans and meat, and while some might argue the pros and cons of spaghetti versus macaroni, most folks couldn’t care less what you put in your chili. Of course, they still think their chili recipe is superior, but it’s not going to ruin your friendship.

The one thing that nearly every native Hautean can agree upon, however, is that classic chili accompaniment, the peanut butter sandwich. Growing up, it never even occurred to me that in other places, folks don’t eat peanut butter with their chili. Yet, it’s a peculiar regional preference that, as near as I can tell, stems from the pairing of peanut butter sandwiches and chili on the local school lunch menu. Who would have thought that the good old lunch lady would have had such an influence? Indeed, ask just about any native what they eat with chili, and the answer will most likely be either a peanut butter sandwich or peanut butter on crackers. Do not expect the same answer from your non-native friends. I once asked a friend from Chicago what goes with chili, and he answered, “Uh, a salad?”

Whether they partake of the peanut butter or not, most folks probably still put chili near the top of their list of winter comfort foods. It’s said that the last words of legendary frontiersman Kit Carson were, “Wish I had time for just one more bowl of chili.” Enjoy these chili recipes while you still have time.

Critic’s Choice Chili
Ryan DuVall, Terre Haute native and restaurant critic for the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, discourages the use of bottled hot sauce in chili. “I like using only chili powders or fresh peppers instead of hot sauce because many hot sauces have intense flavors that can be overpowering.”

2 lbs 80 percent lean ground beef
1 tube of Bob Evans spicy sausage
1 or 2 red peppers
1 or 2 green peppers
2 good-sized onions
1 head of garlic, minced (or about a cup of pre-cut, jarred garlic)
1 large can spicy chili beans
1 to 2 small cans regular beans
1 large (14oz) can of finely chopped tomatoes
1 to 2 small cans of tomato paste
1 bottle of dark beer, plus a little water or V8 or tomato juice
Cayenne pepper
Chili powder (use Alton Brown’s recipe for homemade if you can; it is the best)

Brown ground beef and sausage with onions and garlic. Also, kosher salt and pepper to taste.  After it is browned, stir in chili powder and cayenne to taste. Add tomato paste and chopped tomatoes. Let it cook down for about a half hour to 45 minutes and add beer, beans and chopped red and green peppers. Add more chili powder if you think it needs it (it will, trust me) and continue cooking down for about another half hour to 45 minutes.
 
Serve with garnish of sour cream, fresh chopped onion and shredded cheese, and use homemade chili powder to add heat. Avoid hot sauce if at all possible.

Mom’s Classic Chili
This is the chili my mom made when I was growing up, with the addition of some smoky chipotle in place of a portion of the regular chili powder. Add a peanut butter sandwich for the full experience.

3 lbs ground beef
2 onions, chopped
6 (16oz) cans light red kidney beans, drained.
3 (14.5oz) cans diced tomatoes
3 (46oz) cans tomato juice
1 Tbsp ground chipotle pepper
2 Tbsp regular chili powder
1 Tbsp ground cumin
½ tsp cayenne pepper

Brown ground beef and onions together in a large stock pot, breaking the ground beef into small pieces. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for about two hours, stirring occasionally, until thick. If you like, break a handful of spaghetti into the chili near the end of the cooking time and cook until tender. Serve with sour cream, and shredded cheese, if desired.

“Chili is much improved by having had a day to contemplate its fate.”
John Steele Gordon, economics author and columnist

Chili Cornbread Bake
It never fails. There’s just not quite enough leftover chili to feed the whole family. But wait, you can still make a meal for everyone with this simple recipe.

Leftover chili
Recipe for your favorite cornbread (or a mix — we won’t judge you for that.)
Cheese
Sour Cream

Pour leftover chili into the bottom of a large casserole dish. Sprinkle cheese over chili. Spoon cornbread mixture over chili and cheese and bake according to the cornbread directions. Serve hot, with extra cheese and sour cream.

Spicy Venison & Bacon Chili 
Counter venison’s gamey flavor with this spicy, tomato-less recipe, which has the cinnamon common to Cincinnati chili, but no chocolate or involved ordering.

1 pound bacon, diced
1 red onion, chopped
1 head garlic, minced
1 pound ground venison
6 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
½ tsp freshly ground pepper
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground nutmeg
4 cups chicken broth
1 (4oz) can of diced green chiles in liquid
2 cups frozen corn
1 (15oz) can great northern beans, drained
2 tsp chili powder
4 tsp salt
2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp cumin
1 Tbsp dried cilantro
1 tsp dried oregano

Fry bacon in a skillet until brown. Add onions and garlic. Stir and cook for a few minutes, then add venison and brown, breaking into small bits. Set aside.

Melt butter in a large stock pot. Whisk in flour until smooth. Cook and stir until the mixture darkens, about 15 minutes. Stir in pepper, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Gradually whisk in broth. Add green chiles, garlic. Stir in the corn and beans and bring to a simmer. Add chili powder, salt, cumin, cilantro, and oregano and venison mixture to the liquid and simmer over low heat at least 1 hour.

Green Pork Chili
Note that it’s the tomatillos that give this chili its color, not the pork. If your pork is green, it’s probably time to clean out your refrigerator, and go to the grocery store for some fresh meat.

2 Tbsp olive oil
2 lbs pork tenderloin, cut into bite-size pieces
Salt and pepper to taste
1 large onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ lbs tomatillos, halved
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
1 (14.5oz) can beef broth
2 c water
2 (4oz) cans diced green chiles
2 (15oz) cans great northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp dried cilantro
2 Tbsp sugar

In a stock pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Season pork with salt and pepper, and add to oil, cooking and stirring for 6 to 8 minutes or until browned. Remove from pot and set aside. Place onion and garlic into pot, and sauté until tender. Meanwhile, use a blender or food processor to puree tomatillos and jalapenos. Add broth, water, tomatillo puree, green chiles, beans, oregano, cumin, cilantro and sugar to the pot, along with pork. Add salt and pepper to taste. Simmer about two hours.

Other articles by Stacey Muncie

• Rust & Rebellion - January 1st, 2010
• Roses are Red, Violets are Blue. Really, is that the best you can do? - January 1st, 2010
• Now, This Here is a Tree! - November 1st, 2009