Chili history

[Texas Larry]

Some interesting and maybe reliable background on Texas chili. Beans, no beans? Seems a mixed history. FWIW. Please, no flames. Blame Max Miller🤣.

https://youtu.be/vM6nkG4vP0Q

[ItsAllGoneToTheDogs]

It's a fun watch, some of the stuff I knew but it's nice to hear some reasoning along the way as well. That cili at the end was kinda Chili Colorado-esque but with red chili powder

[tstalafuse]

Excellent! I have been so bored this week... A beans.. no beans post!!!

[Texas Larry]

Yeah, I know. I was hesitating because, well, here goes again…🙄

[tstalafuse]

So many things wrong with that video. I just want to say anyone that tells you about Texas food history from a book is... well just wrong.

First, if you walk into any restaurant in Texas and ask for a bowl of Chili Con Carne, assuming they will bring it to you, you are not going to get a bowl of Chili. You are going to get a bowl of the deliciously good gravy they put on enchiladas. Yes, I understand that in the great uncivilized world outside of Texas a bowl of chili con carne equals a bowl of chili but that is just wrong. Yes, wrong. They also put chocolate, cinnamon, and serve it over pasta and call it Chili. No. Just No. Why? Because authentic Texas Chili Con Carne doesn't actually have meat in it. It is a gravy sauce or a Roux similar to a Cajun mix .

Second, he claims that "many" recipes from Texas history include beans and quotes one source as if that is the absolute truth... Yes, and when some Yankee reporters from Alabama (if that doesn't draw jfmorris in then nothing will) asks for authentic Texas BBQ I always recommend Dickey's BBQ... Just sayin...

Finally, he put his "Chili" on a tortilla.. Max, Max, Max,... A stewed meat on a tortilla is called Carnitas, not chili. Bless his heart...

[jfmorris]

What?!?!? Why draw me out here into your drama? I don’t like beans in my chili - wife does.

As far as that dude in the video goes he looks like a California yankee not an Alabama yankee based on his address being out there in Lala land. I will at that most of the press/papers that still exist in Alabama are probably under the influence of evil and probably prefer meatless chili with just beans. Just wrong…

ok, back to sleep here in Alabama…

[ofelles]

HEY! I'm here to defend LALA land!...................wait talk about a waste of time and energy.
Back to sleep here in CA also.

[tstalafuse]

Sorry, I just couldn't resist.. You are the only person I "know" from Huntsville and every time the will Huntsville or Colorado Springs be the home of Space Command is in the news, which it is on the front page in the local news right now, I think who do I know in Huntsville..

[jfmorris]

tstalafuse thanks for thinking of me, haha!

Yeah, I hate all that political posturing. They spent a couple years deciding on where that base would be, and Huntsville topped the list for various practical reasons. Colorado Springs was not even #2 to my understanding, and at this point, I would just as soon one of the other picks got it before Colorado.

[JLR]

Chili con carne is "chili with meat," no beans and is often referred to as Texas Chili (at least in Texas). If you add beans, it becomes "northern chili" (meaning any place not Texas).

Any real chili restaurant will make this distinction, e.g. Tolbert's in Grapevine, Texas. (Frank Tolbert started the most important chili cook-off — The Terlingua International Championship Chili Cookoff.) If you ever make it to the Dallas area, go to Tolbert's to get an authentic bowl of Texas chili. It is easily the best chili I've had. (Then go back a second time and get their Chicken Fried Steak - it is also great.)

In my youth, I entered several chili cook offs and managed to pull off one victory. The competition is fierce and the judging can be inconsistent at times (or at least it used to be). Somewhere along the way, with family and work, I quit going to the competitions.

As a side note, I work with mostly Hispanics. Most of them add pinto beans to their chili because it's cheaper than meat. They eat it on corn tortillas.

[tstalafuse]

He does make very fine chicken fried steak. The cream gravy I could eat with a spoon, which I believe is the key to good chicken fried steak. I also really like the Torpedoes for an appetizer. Just a taste preference and not that it matters, but I am more partial to what is reported to be Don Henley's chili recipe than his. As a PSA, if anyone decides to go try Tolbert's, just make sure it isn't the weekend of Grape Fest

[JLR]

tstalafuse Agree on Grapefest! I've never had Don Henley's recipe

[smabrito]

Thanks, Texas Larry!