SC - big spice question

[LrdRas@aol.com]

Marilyn Traber wrote:
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 i on the other hand was raised in the east, and make my chili when i
bother to
make it for myself and to my taste in a really bastardized way, coarsly chopped
beef, a large bottle of salsa crudo, a can of toatos and a can of kidney beans,
and a can of the refritos with salsa. It is quick, easy and a comfort food
because it reminds me of the canned chili we used to get at the catholic day
school i went to for a while. While I do like mild chili the way rob normally
makes it ; chunks of beef, scotch bonnets, anchos and onion,  with cumin,
cilantro and a few other things, I am basically lazy and do the quick version
for myself. I learned that it has to be bottled salsa to taste right,
though rob
does make a good salsa crudo, it tastes different enough not to match my memory.

Yeah, this is the way my mom used to make it, more or less. But, as my
parents and I come from a part of the country that is normally regarded
as chili-challenged (a defect for which there is no shame; we have real
pizza and bagels, pastrami and better Chinese restaurants than most
places). What I've done is to learn how people that make real chili do
it. Generally it involves cubed beef, browned slightly in lard or beef
fat, stewed with pureed, soaked anchos or some other combination of
chili peppers, usually a sweetish-type and a hot-type, with garlic,
oregano, and cumin. And salt. That's it, with several somewhat
traditional toppings, such as grated cheddar or Monterey Jack, chopped
onion, chopped fresh or sliced pickled chilis, sour cream, chopped
cilantro, etc. Beans (pinto are the real deal, but I like black beans)
on the side.

Yes, this sounds pretty anal-retentive, but no more so, than, say, the
Rheinheitsgebot stating that bier should contain malted barley, water,
hops, and yeast, and nothing else. This is a specific variation on a
rather broad spectrum of dishes, and while one could easily diverge from
the formula, and certainly cook anything they want to, it just doesn't
seem right calling it chili con carne, or at least not Texas chili, with
all that other stuff.
   
Of course I'm not suggesting the dish made with all that other stuff
isn't _good_. Just heretical ;  ) .

Adamantius
- -- 
Phil & Susan Troy

troy at asan.com
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