Chili con carne

Chili con carne(Spanish:[ˈtʃilikoŋˈkaɾne]lit.'chili with meat'),often shortened tochili, is a spicystewof Mexican origin containingchili peppers(sometimes in the form ofchili powder),meat(usuallybeef),tomatoes, and oftenpinto beansorkidney beans.Other seasonings may includegarlic,onions, andcumin.
The types of meat and other ingredients used vary based on geographic and personal tastes. Recipes provoke disputes among aficionados, some of whom insist that the wordchiliapplies only to the basic dish, without beans and tomatoes. Chili con carne is a common dish forcook-offs, and may be used as aside,garnish, or ingredient in other dishes, such as soups orsalsas.
In writings from 1529, theFranciscanfriarBernardino de Sahagúndescribed chili pepper-seasoned stews being consumed in theAzteccapital,Tenochtitlan, now the location ofMexico City. The use of beef as the primary meat originated when the Spanish introduced cattle to Mexico.
Most of the beef being consumed in Mexico, especially by theRancherosor cowboys in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, was dried salted beef known as “tasajo” or “cecina”.Tasajo was consumed in many dishes, including a stew of red chili sauce known asCarne con Chile,or meat with chili. Carne con chile was very common throughout much of Mexico, as it was an easy and cheap meal. An English naval officer and explorer,George Francis Lyon, wrote in 1826 about eating dried beef in a chili sauce with Rancheros while travelling through northernVeracruz, nearPánuco:
French colonist Mathieu de Fossey had a similar experience in 1831 when he was served tasajo cooked in chili in the village ofJáltipannearCoatzacoalcosin southern Veracruz:
In her 1843 bookLife in Mexico, Scottish noblewomanFrances Erskine Ingliswrote about eating a dish calledembarrado, a composition of meat and chili, while attending therodeo(cattle roundup) andherradero(cattle branding celebration) in the village of Santiago in the state ofHidalgoin 1840:
American traveler Theodore Taylor Johnson also wrote about eatingcarne con chilewhile inSan Blas, Nayaritin 1849:
In Spanish, the term "chile con carne", consisting of the wordchile(from theNahuatlchīlli) andcon carne, Spanish for 'with meat', is first recorded in a book from 1857 about theMexican–American War.A recipe dating back to the 1850s describesdried beef,suet, dried chili peppers and salt, which were pounded together, formed into bricks and left to dry, which could then be boiled in pots in an army encampment inMonterrey, of what is nowNuevo León, Mexico.
Chili also became commonly prepared in northern Mexico and southern Texas.Unlike some other Texas foods, such asbarbecuedbrisket, chili largely originated with working-classTejanaandMexican women.The "chili queens" ofSan Antonio, Texas, were particularly famous in previous decades for selling their inexpensive chili-flavored beef stew in theircasual"chili joints".
The San Antonio Chili Stand, in operation at the 1893Columbian ExpositioninChicago, helped popularize chili by giving many Americans their first taste of it.San Antoniowas a tourist destination and helped Texas-style chili con carne spread throughout the South and West of theUnited States.Chili con carne is the official dish of theU.S. stateofTexasas designated by the House Concurrent Resolution Number 18 of the 65thTexas Legislatureduring its regular session in 1977.
BeforeWorld War II, hundreds of small, family-run chili parlors could be found throughout Texas and other states, particularly those in which émigré Texans had made new homes. Each establishment usually had a claim to some kind of secret recipe.
By 1904, chili parlors were opening outside of Texas, in part due to the availability of commercial versions of chili powder, first manufactured in Texas in the late 19th century.After working at theLouisiana Purchase Exposition, Charles Taylor opened a chili parlor inCarlinville, Illinois, servingMexican Chili.Varallo's, the oldest restaurant in Tennessee, opened as a chili parlor in 1907, competing with other chili parlors that had opened inNashvilleduring the 1890s.In the 1920s and 1930s, chains of diner-style chili parlors began opening in the Midwest.
Cincinnati chiliis a substantially different dish developed by Macedonian and Greek immigrants, deriving from their own culinary traditions. Dozens of restaurants offer this style throughout theCincinnatiarea. It can be traced back to at least 1922, when the original Empress Chili location opened.
InGreen Bay,Wisconsin, the chili parlorChili John'shas existed since 1913. As with Cincinnati chili, it is most commonly served over spaghetti with oyster crackers, but the recipe has more chili powder and a higher proportion of fat.The original proprietor's son opened a second location inBurbank, Californiain 1946, which remains open. The Green Bay location closed in 2020.
Until the late 2000s, a chili parlor dating to 1904, O.T. Hodge, continued to operate inSt. Louis. It featured a chili-topped dish called aslinger: two cheeseburger patties, hash browns, and two eggs, and smothered in chili.As of 2014 no O.T. Hodge-branded locations remain, though Tully's Tap, a pub and restaurant inO'Fallon, Missouri, offers what it claims to be the original O.T. Hodge recipe on its menu.
Beans, astapleofTex-Mex cuisine, have been associated with chili as far back as the early 20th century.The question of whether beans belong in chili has long been a matter of contention among chili cooks. While it is generally accepted that the earliest chilis did not include beans, proponents of their inclusion contend that chili with beans has a long enough history to be considered authentic.The Chili Appreciation Society International, an organization that mainly operates in Texas, United States, specified in 1999 that, among other things, cooks in their competitions are forbidden to include beans in the preparation of chili for official competition—nor are they allowed tomarinateany meats.Small red or pinkcommon beansare commonly used for chili, as areblack beans,black-eyed peas,kidney beans,pinto beans,great northern beans, ornavy beans.
Most commercially prepared canned chili includes beans.Commercial chili prepared without beans is usually called "chili no beans" in the United States.Some U.S. manufacturers, notablyBush Brothers and CompanyandEden Organic, also sell canned precooked beans (without meat) that are labeled "chili beans"; these beans are intended for consumers to add to a chili recipe and are often sold with spices added.
Tomatoes are another ingredient on which opinions differ. Wick Fowler, a north Texas newspaperman and inventor of "Two-Alarm Chili" (which he later marketed as a kit of spices), insisted on addingtomato sauceto his chili in the ratio of one 15-ounce can per three pounds of meat (425 g per 1.36 kg). He also believed that chili should never be eaten freshly cooked, but refrigerated overnight to seal in the flavor.Matt Weinstock, a Los Angeles newspaper columnist, once remarked that Fowler's chili "was reputed to open eighteensinus cavitiesunknown to the medical profession".
Vegetarian chili(also known aschili sin carne,chili without meat,chili non carne, andchili sans carne) acquired wide popularity in the U.S. during the 1960s and 1970s with the rise ofvegetarianism. It is also popular with those on a diet restricting the use ofred meat. To make the chili vegetarian, the cook leaves out the meat or replaces it with ameat analogue, such astextured vegetable proteinortofu,quinoa, or astarchy vegetable, such aspotatoes. These chilis nearly always include beans. Variants may containcorn,squash, sautéedmushrooms,pearl onions,shallotsorbeets.
Chile verde('green chile') is a moderately to extremely spicyNew Mexicanstew or sauce usually made from chunks ofporkthat have been slow-cooked in chicken broth,garlic, greentomatillos, and roasted green chile.The spiciness of the chile is adjusted by the use of various peppers: Hatch chile,poblano,jalapeño,serrano, and occasionallyhabanero. Chile verde is a common filling for theMission burrito.
Cactus chiliis a spicySouthwesternstew that is a variation on traditional chili con carne, usually containing traditional ingredients such as chili peppers, beef, tomatoes, and pinto beans, along with sliced cactus pieces.It is traditionally cooked in a slow cooker and served with a side ofsalted crackers. Cactus chili is a relatively rare variation of chili con carne. However, it has gained prominence as a menu item at restaurant chains such asShowmars.
White chiliis made using chicken or turkey meat and broth,white beans, and green chili peppers. The resulting dish appears light in color when cooked. A white cheese, such as Monterey Jack, or sour cream are often added when served.
The dish may be served with toppings or accompaniments; gratedcheese, diced onions, andsour creamare common toppings, as aresaltine crackers,tortilla chipsorcorn chips,cornbread, rolled-up corn or flourtortillas, and porktamales. Chili can also be served overriceorpastain dishes such aschili mac.
Willie Gebhardt, originally ofNew Braunfels, Texas, and later of San Antonio, produced the first canned chili in 1908. Rancher Lyman Davis nearCorsicana, Texas, developedWolf Brand Chiliin 1895. He owned a meat market and was a particular fan of Texas-style chili. In the 1880s, in partnership with an experienced range cook, he began producing heavily spiced chili based on chunks of lean beef and rendered beef suet, which he sold by the pot to local cafés.
In 1921, Davis began canning his product, naming it for his pet wolf, Kaiser Bill. Wolf Brand canned chili was a favorite ofWill Rogers, who always took along a case when traveling and performing in other regions of the world.Ernest Tubb, the country singer, was such a fan that one Texas hotel maintained a supply of Wolf Brand for his visits. Both the Gebhardt and Wolf brands are now owned byConAgra Foods, Inc.Another major maker of canned chili,Hormel, sells chili available with or without beans, made with turkey or in vegetarian varieties, under their own name and other brands like Stagg.
Another method of marketing commercial chili in the days before widespread home refrigerators was "brick chili". It was produced by pressing out nearly all of the moisture, leaving a solid substance roughly the size and shape of a half-brick. Wolf Brand was originally sold in this form.Commonly available in small towns and rural areas of theAmerican Southwestin the first three-quarters of the 20th century, brick chili has largely been superseded by canned chili. A few manufacturers, such asXLNT Foodsand Dolores Canning in Southern California, continue to distribute brick chili to supermarkets.
Home cooks may also purchase seasoning mixes for chili, including packets of dry ingredients such aschili powder, salt, andcayenne pepper, to flavor meat and other ingredients.