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To me the one seasoning that makes chili chili is cumin. Cumin gives it that smoky, chili smell and taste. I make chili in a few different ways, but cumin is always what makes it chili to me.
Well anyone can make what they call chili a million different ways. Cumin is as much a must as is Chili powder or chiles in chili. When I first started making chili, many moons ago, I tried some tomato and/or tomato sauce. Nope not for me thanks. Chili should be a rich red as chili powder not tomato red or tasting. My opinion...remember? In Texas, pinto beans are far more popular than kidney beans. The only Ranch Style beans we know here come in a can from Gebhardts I think.
Same as with chili, I learned long ago too many additions to beans are not good. That above ^ looks like a bean soup to me. It might taste very good as many varieties do. But it looks way too bean-ed down to me. Now you must realize even across Texas recipes vary a lot. But here in San Antonio chili is far different. I'll add a little fine chopped bell pepper or jalapeno at times. Never tomato in beans or chili. I could see a tiny amount of tomato sauce or paste in some recipes but not chunks of tomato.
Chili with meat should be Chile con Carne with beans should be Chile con frijoles.. makes sense to me. This is how I see it. Not trying to run down others recipes or product. I never make anything the same way twice but I do know how I want it to taste in the end.
As noted, there must be thousands of recipes for chili. But what is it that brings these all together and makes them recipes for the same thing? Does anyone make chili without...
Some sort of meat
Cumin or chili powder
Onion or garlic
Salt and pepper(s)
Some sort of liquid
Anything else that HAS to be in there for it to qualify as chili?
Thanks for all the replies. This just confirms my hunch. About the only consistency I see is the spices. Mine had black and pinto beans (cooked from scratch), canned chili beans in "hot" sauce, canned diced tomatoes, jarred spaghetti sauce, carrots, celery, green pepper, jalapenos, onion, garlic, cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, salt. It was delicious (and vegan, made it for v friends). I think I like this variation, but am going to try a more "meat sauce" version next time.
One of my favorite chilies is Cincinnati chili and it doesn't even share the same spices as western style chili. It has cinnamon and cloves and cocoa....It has ground beef....(not browned) and no beans..I always have to go google the recipe....but I remember that style from my teen age years and sometimes I just have a craving for it.....3 way or 4 way chili. would be a plate of spaghetti, a ladle of Cincinnati style chili, covered with a layer of shredded cheddar cheese and topped with chopped raw onions. A fantastic regional specialty. http://allrecipes.com/recipe/cincinnati-chili-i/
I think the origin of the spice mix is more Greek than Latino or Tex-Mex.
I have found Skyline Chili in the frozen food department so I can get a fix when I need it.
So, my question is exactly what the title is. LOL What makes chili, chili? I've been experimenting with making my own chili. The batch I made last night was essentially a giant pot of bean/veggie soup with a lot of chili powder in it. It was delicious, but it got me thinking... what makes chili, chili? What are your non negotiables in order to consider it "chili"? Discuss!
Chili is something different to everyone. To me, chili is best with meat, either stew type in very small pieces or ground beef. I have made vegetarian chili as well. The other ingredients:
chopped onions
canned, chopped tomatoes
a couple of diced jalapenos or Hatch chilies
chopped garlic
cumin
chili powder
paprika
salt and pepper
I cook it in the slow cooker from early morning until dinner time, sometimes even an extra day.
There are so many ways though to do chili, mostly it depends on the region you live in. For people in the north, the spices I use might be a little too much, but cumin is something that has to be used.
I like to include lots of chunky tomatoes and Louisiana hot sauce in mine. I use meat, no beans...onions good, some garlic good....any kind of peppers in there for the green effect...just find some pepper thingies in the market and get them...I don't have any idea what half of them taste like anyway...and I melt cheese on top of each serving bowl I eat.
I haven't made it much at all, I just make what I think will taste good to my liking and then call it, "chili".
I remember one time I added some kind of flour or cornmeal or something, probably to thicken it.
Lol, I have had mrsrainroosty's and a couple of friends chili before and I don't like theirs....they all use beans! Yucko!.....
Aaaa...what do I know?!
I forgot about topping it with cheese. I just grate the cheese and let it melt, plus we have a bowl of chopped onions as well. I only make it about once a year, but now, it sounds so good, I might have to think about some, in the next few weeks.
I love all the variations on chili from the slightly sweet chili with lots of dark kidney beans and chopped green peppers ,(that I grew up with in New England), to the fiery hot chili of the S West, with or without pinto beans.....and as I stated above--sometimes it has to be the unique....Cincinnati style chili. I like white chili and even the vegetable chilies. (I had a smokey pumpkin chili once). I like the all meat chili sauce on my hot dogs, "coney islands" and the little hot wieners with chili sauce they sell in RI.
I sometimes see a very coarse grind of beef they label chili meat....I haven't tried that. I have cut up chuck for chili but I like ground meat for chili the best.
I do thicken my chili sometimes with a little flour and water like my mom did, or with fine corn meal. I like it to come together rather than be a stew of separate ingredients.
I like meatless chili with beans only, and I like ground chuck chili (obviously with meat) and beans combined. I'm not much of a fan of all-meat chili, unless it's just to smother a hotdog with. The common ingredient in all of them is chili powder, or (if the chili powder you use doesn't have any cumin in it) - chili and cumin.
i like chunky chilli with beans and meat. if it does not have that, then its just soup.
I also hate when they make the ground meat in it too fine, then it has a bad texture that I cannot stand. ewww. has to be chunky ground meat! chunky meaning that when you add the ground round, you put chunks of it into the pot to cook it.
Location: Georgia, on the Florida line, right above Tallahassee
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SATX56
Chili powder of course. Ground beef or cubed beef or venison. Garlic, onion, cumin, sometimes cayenne. Brown beef and saute onions, drain add flour and spices(stir and brown) then add water. Voila! No veggies in chili aside from onion and garlic (peppers if you like). I always cook pinto beans separately.
Over in 1 post. Yep.
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Nope not for me thanks. Chili should be a rich red as chili powder not tomato red or tasting. My opinion...remember? 
In Texas, pinto beans are far more popular than kidney beans. The only Ranch Style beans we know here come in a can from Gebhardts I think. 
Mine had black and pinto beans (cooked from scratch), canned chili beans in "hot" sauce, canned diced tomatoes, jarred spaghetti sauce, carrots, celery, green pepper, jalapenos, onion, garlic, cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, salt. It was delicious (and vegan, made it for v friends). I think I like this variation, but am going to try a more "meat sauce" version next time.
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