Chillin' with Chili‼️
And don't forget the beans--unless you're from Texas!
Well, Super Bowl has come and gone. Ditto Valentine’s Day. I had in mind to make chili—and in fact I did; it just seemed like the right dish to serve for either occasion. And now that those events are past and more rain is expected here in Southern California, it’s still a good time for chili. Who doesn’t like a warm, filling, one-pot meal? Sounds like a bowl of comfort to me.
As I wrote last week, I intended to make what I thought was the classic version with beans and beef, but then thought to go with beans and veggies and leave the meat out. There are some chili purists who frown at those choices. Apparently beans are a no-no in Texas, as are tomatoes—but meat is non-negotiable.
According to an account I found on the Allrecipes site, Texas cowboys, including many Mexicans, and gold-seeking forty-niners en route to California, might be credited with some of the earliest formulations of chili con carne—literally chili with meat. It was a mix of beef, fat, chile peppers and seasoning “combined into blocks, dubbed ‘chili bricks,’ which were stored in saddlebags. Plunging part of a chili block into a pot of boiling water transformed it into a convenient, filling meal.”1
You can read more about the great debate about whether beans belong in “true” chili in this article from Southern Living. And here’s a link to a recipe for a Texas-style chili with seven kinds of chiles and a whole lot of meat, but no beans.
A side note:
Under International Chili Society (ICS) rules governing the World Championship Chili Cook-Offs (WCCC), a major competition that takes place each fall, “Traditional Red Chili” may contain “any kind of meat, or combination of meats, cooked with red chili peppers, various spices and other ingredients.” However: “Beans and non-vegetable fillers such as rice and pasta are not allowed.” In other words, my chili, made with beans, green chiles and spices, but no meat, wouldn't qualify.
On the other hand, it would pass muster in the “Homestyle Chili” category that allows “any kind of meat, or combination of meats, and/or vegetables cooked with beans, chili peppers, various spices and other ingredients.” In this one, beans are required!
I don’t think I’m quite ready for that kind of competition. If you are, here’s a link to the official rules of the contest, which include two other categories: Chili Verde and Veggie.
Beans, beans!
To my taste, especially as a bean lover, a true chili ought to have beans. That being said, I have seen recipes for lentil chili—and, as you may know from previous posts, I do love lentils—but when it comes to chili, I’m partial to beans. And when it comes to beans, I prefer the dried variety to canned.
Fresh shelled beans would probably be best of all, but they’re rarely available around here and, if they are, it would usually be in late summer. Although canned beans are more convenient, quicker and perfectly fine in many recipes (a friend of mine just told me she uses nothing else), dried beans, first soaked (though there’s some debate about that too), then boiled, yield large amounts of sumptuous liquid that adds great flavor to soups, stews and chilis and can easily be frozen for later use. Never ever throw it away!
When it comes to which brand to use, I opt for Rancho Gordo—super high quality and variety (some 40-plus kinds), though more expensive ($6.25 to $7.50 per pound) than the dried beans you’ll find in your local market. For my money, they’re worth it. The beans are delicious, hold their shape when cooked correctly, and yield about six cups of cooked beans per pound that you can use in any number of dishes—soups, salads, dips, pastas, curries, stews, sides, bowls and whatever else you can dream up. But here’s a dirty little secret: they’re so darn tasty, I often just eat a bowl of beans straight out of the cooking pot!
Based in Napa, California, Rancho Gordo was started by CEO Steve Sando, who writes a blog filled with recipes, news and bean wisdom and has authored or co-authored several popular cookbooks. Almost a decade ago, I wrote about how I first discovered Rancho Gordo when I bought a package of very large beans while on a trip to Napa. I’ve been buying them ever since. You can read the story below.
Another aficionado of both beans and Rancho Gordo, chef and humanitarian José Andrés (of the stellar charity, World Central Kitchen), devoted a post to the topic last month.
Not having sampled much caviar, I can only say that beans make some excellent soups and great chili. And, for those trying to cut back on their meat consumption, some bean dishes made without meat are so delicious and satisfying that you won’t feel at all deprived!
Here’s a recipe for Homemade Vegetarian Chili that’s a close approximation of how I made mine—except that instead of canned beans, I used a pound of dried King City pinks from Rancho Gordo, (I soaked them overnight, then cooked them until they were soft but still retained their shape), kept all the rich bean liquid, added a parmesan cheese rind, several roasted, peeled chiles (jalapeños and Anaheims), and a couple of chopped chipotle peppers in Adobo sauce to spice things up.
Another excellent vegetarian recipe using three types of dried beans can be found at Smitten Kitchen. If you prefer a meat chili with beans, check out Rancho Gordo’s recipe for chili con carne here. It’s made with chunks of chuck, not ground beef, plus a bottle of dark beer. It’s next on my list!
If you’re a chili lover, I wonder if you have a preference—meat or no meat? With or without beans? Vegetarian? Vegan? Please let me know in comments.
That’s it—except for cornbread. If you’d like to have some of that with your chili (and who wouldn’t?), here’s a link to a gluten-free version I wrote about some years ago. Or you can try a recipe for cornbread with bacon and fresh corn from the late great Tina Turner that cookbook author and blogger Anne Byrn shared last year following the singer’s death.
If you’d like to know more about some great chiles 🌶🌶 (spelled with an “e” at the end, they’re the vegetable; with an “i,” you’re talking about the dish), here’s a link to a story I wrote about New Mexico’s famed Hatch chiles.
Thanks for your likes, comments and subscriptions. I’m always thrilled to hear from you—and would be ever so grateful if you would share this piece and this blog with a friend!
See you next time!
Ruth
Mary Claire Lagroue, “The Surprising (and Speculative) History of Chili,” Allrecipes, January 27, 2023, https://www.allrecipes.com/longform/history-of-chili/
I remember seeing the Rancho Gordo beans in San Francisco a few years ago and wished I could bring some home. But Australian quarantine rules being what they are, it just isn't possible, so I just have to admire them from afar. And I love the contestant rules for the chilli cook-off - "Every adult must be in good standing prior to the commencement of a cook-off"!
I love chili but haven’t made it in months, even with all this rain! The two chili recipes I use the most don’t use beans - I have a butternut squash and ground turkey version that’s a big hit and an easy weeknight dish, and a Cuisinart turkey and onion chili recipe that’s a labor of love (but freezes well).