I know you’re convinced that a little cinnamon improves your chili.
You are incorrect on this conviction.
If you use cinnamon and cloves in chili, the cinnamon and cloves should be almost undetectable. The spice is meant to provide a warm undertone.
Realistically, if you want to properly experience it, forget adding cinnamon and add good quality chorizo. It has cinnamon, but brings a lot more to the table.
Wait is that why I love chorizo I fuckin love cinnamon
I honestly had no idea what was in chorizo. I had been making chili with it at home and it came time to make it for work, I stopped by the market near work and they didn’t have any. I was all “FINE!, I’ll make my own” and looked it up, there are TONS of variations. The one I went for was basically vinegar, coriander, cinnamon, cloves, and most of the spices I already use in chili.
One of my favorite taco shops made one that was very hot and just a touch sweet the cinnamon was forward which I didn’t care for at first, but it ended up being amazing, it was also processed fine like round beef. I’ve been trying to replicate that for a while.
So any decent garam masala will work?
You know, I’ve never tried it with chili, but I’ll bet it would be wonderful. I’m thinking the cardamom’s going to get lost really quickly, I would probably add it once at about the middle of the cooking, and then lightly dust it again at serving for the aroma.
That’s not completely off, but it should be dark chocolate, not milk chocolate or whatever M&M’s are made with now. A little dark chocolate is great in chili.
What about the Peeps?
I can’t tell if you’re joking.
If you’re not, do you mean like baking chocolate, ultra dark chocolate? Or like dark Ghirardelli chocolate chips
Most popular chili recipes have cocoa powder as an ingredient now. Adds a nice bit of earthiness to the chili.
I’ve used dark chocolate chips before, yes. I think they were Ghirardelli.
And no, not joking. Chocolate without the fat/sugar is bitter, and bitter flavors can add a lot if they’re mixed in correctly.
It takes an excruciatingly small amount of chocolate, if you add too much it just tastes like chocolate. But it is good. Same with a touch of cinnamon. Very small amounts just to add some depth.
There is nothing that cinnamon can’t improve though
Actually cinnamon doesn’t improve cinnamon. Anyone that’s attempted to cinnamon challenge can attest to this
You’ve got me there
These rules come from the same people who put a slice of cheese on apple pie. “It adds a savory quality to all the sweetness.” Fuck off, it adds the taste of cheese to apple pie. People also like mint and chocolate, maybe you should eat some M&Ms coated in Vicks vaporub
Chili is steaming dog food with too many spices and onions for dogs to eat. If you think your chili tastes better with beans or even cinnamon, then get down with your bad self. Anyone who tells you otherwise is welcome to not eat your chili.
“Syrup doesn’t belong on waffles/french toast”
“Cookies shouldn’t have raisins”
“You shouldn’t put butter on your tortillas”
Fuck all y’all, I’mma eat my food how it tastes good and you can maybe chime in once you got a show on the food network^I’m a Texan who will eat your chili with or without beans and I approve this message^
Whoa now. Whoever said Syrup doesn’t belong on waffles should be kept away from sharp objects.
No, they should be very, very close to a lot of sharp objects, repeatedly.
Raisins in cookies is evil, the number of times I was fooled when I was younger…
Raisins in cookies is high tier. It’s got the sweet and the chew
As a fellow member of the [If It’s Delicious Who Cares If It’s aUtHenTic] Club, I don’t usually feed my dogs a hand selected blend of peppers and spices, but you’re invited to the cookout anyways.
I don’t care how they’re picked, you generally shouldn’t feed peppers and spices that you’d use in chili. And never onions, garlic, or grapes regardless of the intended application.
“If you like beans in chili put beans in chili. If you dislike beans in chili but you dislike someone who also dislikes beans in chili more than you dislike beans in chili put beans in chili.”
As a vegan it might be strange and interesting to try to replicate the “authentic” Texas Red recipes. No beans, no tomato. The basic recipe would be an almost purely pepper-based stock, probably use both Beyond Ground and diced Beyond Steak. If I recall, the most original known chili recipe called for a substantial amount of added pig fat. I’m not big on high-fat foods in the first place, so to me it’s dubious whether to even include an alternative. But if I did, the most comparable choice would be coconut oil, but I avoid coconut/palm oil to the best of my ability, so probably a bit of added avocado oil would work best, though it’s worth noting that Beyond products are already high in one or the other of these (avocado Beyond is best). Spices don’t need to change.
But then, is that really superior chili? Sorry but midwestern bean and tomato/pepper extravaganza chili is way better, and will continue to be my main. But with some added crumbled soy curls? Gonna have to try that soon.
I’m a vegetarian these days, but the best chili is a five way. Gotta find a decent meatless skyline recipe
Vegetarian for over 20 years. Most of my chili is “leftovers chili”. It’s about the flavor more than the ingredients. I suppose it’s more of a chili flavored goulash technically.
Usually starting with black beans, chick peas, tomatoes, peppers and chili spices. Then whatever leftovers I don’t want to eat get chopped up and added. My favorite leftover is old French fries because they never reheat right anyway. Also a great way to use up produce that is going bad but not yet unsafe to eat.
I’ve never tried it, but I bet TVP would work pretty well in chili as a substitute for meat, at least texturewise.
I make chili for work once a quarter or so. I make two batches, one Vegan, one Fantastic (ok kidding)
Yes, you can use just about any meat substitute they are all fantastic. Slices of seitan, TVP, Small chunks of drained and pressed low moisture tofu, morning star sausage. The spices destroy any of the finer flavors, so you’re just in it for the texture you really can’t go wrong because the only no-no is gristle.
Before the meat alternatives got decent in the past few years, I always just made both batches with beans.
That’s where the soy curls come in. TVP would be a nice addition, but I lean more in favor of a whole-foods approach. TVP = chemically stripped soy, mostly protein. Soy curls are the whole beans boiled and reformed into a surprizingly incredible and versatile meat alternative.
I’ve never tried soy curls before. Interesting.
Yup, to be honest I’m surprised that Butler’s has zero direct competition. To the best of my knowledge there is no other whole-bean single-ingrediant meat substitute, all of the other closest competitors are tvp-based.
coconut oil and palm oil are from different plants. Are you confusing the two or is there a reason to stay away from coconut oil that I haven’t heard yet?
Both health and ethics reasons. Healthwise coconut oil has even higher saturated fat levels than palm oil does, but both are quite high.
Ethics wise coconut is similarly not sustainable, at least not in terms of being yet another monoculture. I would say it’s arguably not vegan because of the harm that comes to animals and their habitats because of the coconut industry.
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/by-the-way-doctor-is-palm-oil-good-for-you
There are various spices that go into chili that have been lost to time & grandfather’s taking recipes to the grave. I’m ok with a little experimenting, but it should taste like Chili, not “Chili”.
Also, there is a hard line in the sand at elbow noodles. That’s Goulash.
That’s ChiliMac and we’re going to have to fight now because that’s the highest expression of Chili known to man.
It’s funny, I love chili and I love mac and cheese, but I find ChiliMac to be somehow worse than the sum of it’s parts.
Well I didn’t just mix the two. I put chili over macaroni noodles. Then I add cheese until it’s just the right mix. The heat of the two causes the cheese to melt into a sauce nicely and everyone can control the mix. I’ve had stuff where people put canned chili over velveeta mac and cheese and it made me want to vomit so it’s definitely something that has to be done right.
Also, there is a hard line in the sand at elbow noodles. That’s Goulash.
WHAT?! I was all the way with you, until Goulash. What horrific version of goulash are you eating that contains elbow noodles? Or even noodles at all?
American, not Hungarian.
Goulash is a common food in school lunch rooms and is like a tomato and meat sauce on elbow noodles. It’s not what you’re thinking goulash is, but it’s quite good.
Chili is short for chili con carne, not chili con carne y frijoles. I understand competitions demanding a certain “purity.” That said, I will put beans in my chili because that’s what I like.
It’s also not short for chili con carne y tomates, so by that logic it’d be weird to put tomatoes in there too lol
Again, I don’t necessarily disagree about it from a competition/traditionalist perspective, but I’m going to put it in mine because I like it. That said, I do find that most recipes are akin to a tomato, meat, and beans stew and are sorely lacking in the chilis that the dish is named after.
I’m pretty sure it’s actually short for chili con carne, tomates, espinaca, frijoles, maíze, arroz, más frijoles, calabacín, brócoli, pimientos verdes, comino, chipotle, y pimentón ahumado.
Ah, I see you looked it up in the dictionary
I say it’s short for Chile con Carne because beans are the baseline chili - I’d eat chili with beans and no meat, Chile sin Carne, that’s a meal by itself.
But chili with meat and no beans, like Chile Colorado, needs to be served with beans and rice, it’s not good by itself. I do make that sometimes but people just call it “meat” when I do. Nobody here thinks of it as chili.
I don’t think any food is pure. Traditions are forever changing.
If you’re chili con carne is “just meat,” you’ve seriously skimped on the star of the show, the chilis. Which most people seem to do… I’ve seen way too many chili recipes that are basically just a tomato, meat, and bean stew with a dash of chili powder.
I don’t think any food is pure. Traditions are forever changing.
I 100% agree. Hence I said I understand the purists and the chili competitions that don’t allow beans, but I’m going to make mine with beans. Also, much of the best foods are fusions. The chilis, the spicy fruits not the dish, are the perfect example. I can’t imagine a world in which Indian, Thai, or just about any Asian dish doesn’t have a spicy kick to it. Yet every single species of chili originated in South America. Same story with the tomato. My favorite cuisine is Cajun which is French cooking techniques using the South American and Haitian ingredients that were available. There are countless examples like that.
Ha, no they call it “meat” but of course there are chiles. Generally anchos & a guajillo and if I have one the smoked oaxacan pepper. rehydrated in the meat broth and blended with onion and roasted tomatillos, not tomato. It’s really good I just cannot think of it as chili.
A guajillo, as in one? You’re proving my point here. And nothing spicy.
Ha! It’s flavorful as fuck actually with the mostly ancho assortment and tomatillos but the venn diagram in my family for people who like meat heavy meals and the people who like very spicy (as in picante) food doesn’t have much overlap - me and the vegan are the only actual chiliheads.
When I make the vegetarian chili, it gets jalapenos, tomatoes, lots of bottled chili powder, some tinned chipotle powder, leftover very spicy salsa, sometimes beer or a splash of whiskey, I keep adjusting it until it seems like it will be good, then leave it to simmer or in the slow cooker. it’s more of a refrigerator stew but always pintos, I don’t like any other beans in there.
I put in a pinch of espresso 🤌
I usually don’t have a nice fine ground coffee on hand. Cocoa powder works just as well! Gives a nice earthy depth to the chili!
That sounds delicious!
