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It's Chili Time! (Part 1)

© Judy Howle

When the weather turns cool, it's time for a steaming "bowl of red"! Chili, to an aficionado, is more than a spicy stew; it is a craving, a passion, for a simmered combination of meat and chile peppers that warms the heart and inspires the soul. Even the word "chili" is magical and exciting to a chili-lover.

The exact origin of chili is still shrouded in mystery. Some people believe it originated with chuckwagon cooks who regularly prepared stew for the cowpokes of the Southwest. Possibly, one of the these cooks ran out of black pepper and in his search for a substitute, he came across some red chile peppers which were common among the Indians and Mexicans in the territory that is now southwest Texas. These undomesticated capsicums were extremely hot. When the cowboys inquired about the source of the extreme heat, they were told that the heat came from the "chile," or hot pepper. Over time, this sizzling stew became popular in it's own right, and became known as "chili."

Chili became so popular in Texas and later elsewhere that chili parlors and chili cook-offs sprang up everywhere. Beginning in 1967 as a joke with a chili-cooking duel between humorist H. Allen Smith and journalist Wick Fowler, chili cook-offs are now popular all over the country, with state-wide and international contests. The Chili Appreciation Society International (CASI) cook-off is held in Terlingua, Tex., and the ICS (International Chili Society) Cook-off was held in California, but I think it was held in Nevada this year. True Texas-style chili basically includes meat, chile peppers and spices. However, that is just a jumping-off place for the rest of us non-Texans who routinely add onions and tomatoes and other original and/or unusual spices and ingredients.

Popular chile toppings include a dollop of sour cream (to help tame the hotter versions), chopped onions, grated Cheddar or Jack cheese, crackers and tortilla chips.

Part 1 recipes are for Texas-style chili.

TEXAS RED CHILI
from Marlboro Country Chili Recipes

• 1/4 lb. suet, bacon drippings, or vegetable oil
• 6 lbs. lean beef, coarsely cubed
• 1 cup chili powder (about 4 1/2 oz)
• 2 Tbsp crushed cumin seeds or ground cumin
• 2 Tbsp oregano
• 2 Tbsp salt
• 1 - 2 Tbsp cayenne pepper
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 qts. beef stock or canned beef broth
• 1/2 cup masa harina or cornmeal
• 1/2 cup cold water

Fry suet until crisp. Then add beef, about 1 lb at a time, and brown, stirring as it cooks. Remove each pound after browning. When all meat is browned, return it to kettle and add seasonings and beef stock or broth. Cover and simmer 2 hrs. Skim off fat. Combine masa or cornmeal and water and stir thoroughly into chili. Simmer 30 min. Makes about 3-3/4 qts.