- Today is Halloween, and as far as we are concerned, you can skip the candy and go straight to the big pot on the stove.
At our home, when it’s chilly outside, it’s chili-time inside. Making chili has been a Halloween tradition of ours for many years, and neighbors know they can pop in for a quick bowl before hitting the mean streets of Madison for treats.
In writing this article, I did some research because I was curious about the history of chili. I was quite surprised by my findings, especially since there was a supernatural connection that involved a nun who lived in northern Spain in the 1600s.
On the Everything Catholic website, there is a story about Sister Mary of Agreda, who never physically left her convent, yet she took a few mystical trips to the New World, where her spirit engaged with the Jumano indigenous tribe in an area that is now the American Southwest.
While Sister Mary was in her hypnotic state, it is said that there was a blue glow around her. Her spirit shared the Gospel message with the Jumanos, and in exchange, their spirits shared a native recipe with her – a robust stew featuring chili peppers, tomatoes, onions, and venison. Sound familiar?
But wait, this story gets even crazier. In 1731, the king of Spain sent sixteen families from the Canary Islands to what is now San Antonio, Texas, and they took spices from the islands with them, including cumin. The addition of that spice took the stew to a whole new level.
While it was surely Mexican-inspired, it turns out that chili con carne is a purely American dish. By the 1800s, cowboys and Texas adventurers and explorers packed the first chili kits in their saddlebags. They needed something quick, easy, and filling to eat on their trail rides, and the combination of dried chopped beef added to boiling water over a campfire was a good start. They added chilis, spices, and beans then bam! – the inspiration for the campfire scene in Blazing Saddles.
History certainly dictates foodways, and in the 1920s the Balcan wars caused people to flee Macedonia and Greece, and many of those refugees settled in Cincinnati, where they opened chili stands. At the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago, the San Antonio Chili Stand was a hit with the hungry crowds.
A quick Google search reveals hundreds of chili recipes, most with the same base as the original recipe Sister Mary of Agreda telepathically received from the Jumanos. It’s a dish you really can’t get wrong, but some people are very particular and proud of their own personal chili recipe. There are chili competitions around the country to prove it.
In 1977, chili was declared the state dish of Texas where the annual International Chili Cook-off has been held since 1967. The International Chili Society is to chili what Memphis in May is to barbeque. There are ICS-sanctioned events around the country, with the division winners competing at the annual ICS event in San Juan Capistrano, California. Last year’s Grand Master winner was Donna Foley.
Closer to home, the Natchez Annual Rotary Chili Cook-off will be held on the Natchez Bluff across from the Grand Hotel on November 9 from 11am to 2pm. Admission is free, and chili tasting kits are $10.
The City of Flowood and the Flowood Chamber of Commerce holds their annual Chili Cook-off on the same day as the Grand Lighting of Winner’s Circle Park. This year it will take place on December 5. It’s a free event, but you must buy a ticket to sample the chili – free bottled water included. Competitors can register their team at no charge. Check with the Flowood Chamber for more details.
Both events benefit local charities.
The basic chili base is practically universal. Meat (it can be ground beef, sausage, venison, or even chicken), tomatoes, chilis, and if you wish, beans. They can be red beans, kidney beans, Great Northern beans – whatever suits your fancy. A slurry of masa and water near the end of cooking will help thicken the chili and give it a nice corn flavor.
Some people get creative with the toppings, even creating a chili bar so that guests can have their chili the way they like it. Sour cream, grated cheddar cheese, jalapeno slices, chopped green or white onions, chopped bacon, diced avocado, lime wedges, and more can be offered. Pro tip: don’t make the chili too spicy, but have hot sauce on hand for those who like a little kick to their chili. The final topping is debatable. Cornbread croutons or crushed up corn chips. True confession – I’m a Fritos fan.
There are plenty of places to buy chili year ‘round, including Soulshine Pizza, which has numerous online reviews that rave about their chili. In a pinch, you can always swing through the drive-through and pick up a cup of chili made daily at Wendy’s.
They also sell 15-ounce cans of Wendy’s famous chili in the supermarket. The chili with beans sells for $4.42 a can, and a can with no beans will run you $4.98.
Donna Foley 2023 ICS Championship Texas Red Hot Chili Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. cubed Tri Tip beef
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp. black pepper
- 2 TBSP. Vegetable Oil
- 1 14 1/2 oz can Swanson’s Low Salt Beef broth
- 1 14 1/2 oz can Swanson’s Low Salt Chicken broth
- 8 oz. spring water
- 1 8 oz can tomato sauce
- 1 serrano pepper
Spice Mix
- Spice Mix #1
- 2 TBS New Mexico chili powders like Mild Bill’s Gunpowder Foods Dixon or Hatch
- 1 TBSP granulated onion
- 1 tsp Chicken Granules
- 1/4 tsp. All Things Chili Deadly Dudley chili powder
- Spice Mix #2
- 3 TBSP chili powder blends like Gebhardt’s or Mild Bill’s Gunpowder Foods San Antonio Original
- 1 TBSP Mild Bill’s Gunpowder Foods Stockyard Special chili blend or Pendery’s Fort Worth Light chili powder blend
- 1 TBSP ground cumin
- 1 TBSP granulated garlic
- ¼ tsp jalapeno powder
Instructions
Brown cubed beef in salt, pepper, and vegetable oil and drain.
In a 4-quart pot, add the 8 oz can of tomato sauce. Then use the 8 oz can as the measuring spoon and add one can of beef broth, chicken broth and water.
Add the serrano pepper and drained beef and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the pepper.
Add Spice mix #1 and simmer for 1 hour.
Add Spice Mix #2 and simmer for 30 minutes.
Salt to taste.
Susan Marquez
