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It's Chili Season!
- Thread starter WilbursaurusRex
- Start date
Geen chili is pretty common in New Mexico. It's typically pork and hatch chiles, but I've had it made with goat as well. Good stuff. The hominy twist is interesting and not any worse than adding some God-awful beans to a perfectly fine red chili.
I don’t add beer to the initial chili pot but when reheating in a small skillet, I take the coagulated scoop (for one person) and put about a quarter of a beer on top to make it slightly soupy. I break the ball apart and reheat it, and eat with a flour tortilla that’s been toasted directly over the stove burner. Guinness beer is tasty and works well. The beer should be one that you like for taste. I find that the beer helps bring the flavors together and gives a smooth mouthfeel. The remainder of the beer is to sip while cooking and eating.
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The confusion comes because there are a lot of very different types of chile peppers, with very different flavor profiles and heat levels and methods of cooking.
Chile verde and chile roja are common condiments in Mexican cooking, can be put on tortilla chips, tacos, enchiladas, breakfast tacos, whatever. 'Mexican flag' enchiladas have verde sauce on one end, roja sauce on the other, and a stripe of sour cream in the middle.
There's also New Mexico Green Chile soup, a thin clear soup with roasted Hatch green chiles, potato chunks, and cheese. And many other dishes, like chile rellanos, that use chile peppers in some form or another.
But 'chili' (with the 'e' simmered to an 'i') is a dish that plays a big role in the mythos of Texas. And it specifically describes a type of long-simmered stew with a specific flavor profile. Featuring dried ground chilies, red pepper, cumin, oregano, onions, garlic, red meat, etc. If it's got things like pineapple, sugar, pasta, olives, ketchup, celery, grapes, corn, it doesn't qualify. It may taste great - just call it something other than 'chili'!
Weeell, there's a difference of opinion on this. I go with the camp that classifies Tex-Mex as a true branch of Mexican cuisine, right along with Interior-Mex, Coastal-Mex, Yucatan-Mex, and mebbe even Cal-Mex. Tex-Mex is an authentic fusion cuisine derived from both Mexican and anglo cultures, using the ingredients that were available.
Chile verde and chile roja are common condiments in Mexican cooking, can be put on tortilla chips, tacos, enchiladas, breakfast tacos, whatever. 'Mexican flag' enchiladas have verde sauce on one end, roja sauce on the other, and a stripe of sour cream in the middle.
There's also New Mexico Green Chile soup, a thin clear soup with roasted Hatch green chiles, potato chunks, and cheese. And many other dishes, like chile rellanos, that use chile peppers in some form or another.
But 'chili' (with the 'e' simmered to an 'i') is a dish that plays a big role in the mythos of Texas. And it specifically describes a type of long-simmered stew with a specific flavor profile. Featuring dried ground chilies, red pepper, cumin, oregano, onions, garlic, red meat, etc. If it's got things like pineapple, sugar, pasta, olives, ketchup, celery, grapes, corn, it doesn't qualify. It may taste great - just call it something other than 'chili'!
Weeell, there's a difference of opinion on this. I go with the camp that classifies Tex-Mex as a true branch of Mexican cuisine, right along with Interior-Mex, Coastal-Mex, Yucatan-Mex, and mebbe even Cal-Mex. Tex-Mex is an authentic fusion cuisine derived from both Mexican and anglo cultures, using the ingredients that were available.
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I skimmed through your post there @MoireBass and saw the word pineapple. I thought to myself, 'oh boy, here comes another city slicker trying to ruin a good meal by putting pineapple on it'.
I am glad I decided to re-read the post before summarily dismissing you.
To the contrary, I like the way you think in this regard.
-Mike
I am glad I decided to re-read the post before summarily dismissing you.
To the contrary, I like the way you think in this regard.
-Mike
OK, I can go with that. The relationship of Tex-Mex to Mex-Mex (and as you correctly point out, Mexico's a large nation with many different regional traditions of food) is one that people will argue about till they're all blue in the face. The point I was trying to make, as you've done too, is that the "long-simmered stew with a specific flavor profile. Featuring dried ground chilies, red pepper, cumin, oregano, onions, garlic, red meat, etc." is NOT the same thing as a green chile sauce-based pork stew - which looked like it tastes great - but 'tain't chili. Nor is ketchup dribbled over ground beef (as in Cincinnati).
It's interesting how protective folks get about their regional cuisine. You see the same argumnets about BBQ, pizza, fried chicken, etc. Green chili is not chili? Okey Dokey.
I'm guessing you've never actually had Cincinnati chili. It's weird to be sure, but it's because of the Greek-influenced spicing. No ketchup involved.
I'm guessing you've never actually had Cincinnati chili. It's weird to be sure, but it's because of the Greek-influenced spicing. No ketchup involved.
“Chili” has many variations across the country/world. Some are good , some aren’t. YMMV.
I did; it tasted like ground beef with ketchup in it poured over spaghetti. Frankly it reminded me of a school lunch more than anything.
We have our own take on chili/chile in Central Pennsylvania too that's added as a hot dog topping. It's not like what's normally considered chili/chile, but more like Cincinnati style, but by golly it is delicious.
The part that's really going to get a few folks here worked up is the local joint I visit when I'm back home is called Texas Hot Dog.
The Hires root beer on tap is also great there.
-Mike
Chili or coney hot dog…that’s a subject right there!We have our own take on chili/chile in Central Pennsylvania too that's added as a hot dog topping. It's not like what's normally considered chili/chile, but more like Cincinnati style, but by golly it is delicious.
The part that's really going to get a few folks here worked up is the local joint I visit when I'm back home is called Texas Hot Dog.
The Hires root beer on tap is also great there.
-Mike
Hires is good! A&W root beer around here.
We have our own take on chili/chile in Central Pennsylvania too that's added as a hot dog topping. It's not like what's normally considered chili/chile, but more like Cincinnati style, but by golly it is delicious.
The part that's really going to get a few folks here worked up is the local joint I visit when I'm back home is called Texas Hot Dog.
The Hires root beer on tap is also great there.
-Mike
That was a thing in NW PA as well. It works on a dog, but takes on a new level of weird on a pile of spaghetti.
Okay. Gatekeepers of the Texas chili tradition, what did I do in the post quoted here? It’s got red chilies, beef, and an assortment of dry spices. Is it chili? Chile? A Mexican condiment?
THAT - looks like a bowl of red. I'd have to taste it to comment on the "taste profile". Or, in other words, a "long-simmered stew with a specific flavor profile. Featuring dried ground chilies, red pepper, cumin, oregano, onions, garlic, red meat, etc."
We'll have to create a new group at TalkBass, the Chili/Chile Moderators. All posts that include the word chili or chile will be unapproved until reviewed by this select group of moderators before being approved or maybe deleted.
In order to apply for this moderator position, please prepare a pot of your best chili/chile and send it to me. After a thorough tasting, I'll select three of the best to form the initial group.
-Mike
In order to apply for this moderator position, please prepare a pot of your best chili/chile and send it to me. After a thorough tasting, I'll select three of the best to form the initial group.
-Mike
Let me just say that I am completely biased and partial. My fellow Washingtonian, @pisces_bass pretty much has one of the moderator spots nailed down.
-Mike
-Mike
