What’s heartier and more warming than a steaming bowl of spicy chili on a cold winter day? With National Chili Day coming up on February 26, we were inspired to cook up a big pot of it to get us through shoveling ourselves out of this latest dump of snow.
Chili is a classic North American comfort food, but it’s become common around the world. Even though the recipes vary from place to place, people everywhere agree that this hearty dish isn’t just a stew or a chunky soup, it’s better!
Chili peppers originated in the Americas, cultivated over 10,000 years ago, and were spread globally by Portuguese/Spanish traders in the 15th century. The dish “chili con carne” evolved from indigenous chili pepper-spiced stews using ancho, guajillo and spicy cayenne peppers, giving it’s signature heat and reddish colour. These recipes were adapted by Texans (it’s the official state food of Texas!) and Mexican settlers in the 19th century. This became a popular campfire food with cowboys on cattle runs in the Midwest (most of whom were Mexican) and gold seekers (called forty-niners).
The earliest written description of chili comes from an 1828 journal from San Antonio. Apparently, beef, fat, chili peppers, and seasoning were combined into blocks, dubbed “chili bricks,” which were stored in saddlebags, like pemmican. A chunk would be cut off of a block and dumped into a pot of boiling water, transformed it into a convenient, filling meal.
It was also believed that a group of women first concocted the dish: the lavanderas (washerwomen) who traveled through Texas with the Mexican Army in the 1830s and ‘40s, washing clothes and cooking for the soldiers. It’s said their large washing pots doubled as cooking pots to stew venison or goat with chile peppers.
Yet another theory credits a small population of immigrants from the Canary Islands, then a territory of Spain, who Spanish colonists brought to San Antonio in 1731 to counter France from spreading its territory west of Louisiana. Chili resembles Canarian cooking in its use of dried cumin, and it’s said Canarian women in Texas were known for cooking a spicy stew.
However chili originated, even here in Canada it’s become a popular dish. So popular, you can find it on the menu at your local Tim Horton’s, Burger King and Salisbury House, and topping off hamburgers with a heaping pile of raw onions at many restaurants. We also have the “chili burger” where an ordinary cheeseburger is completely smothered in spicy goodness. There’s even a chili version of the very Canadian dish, poutine. Chili is an extremely versatile dish!
If you’ve never made chili, you’re in a for a treat. Chili con carne is by far the most hearty version of it, but a thinner version with less beans can be made of you prefer. It’s wildly adaptable, so you can add as many or as few beans, or no beans, as you prefer. There are also vegan versions made with beans and carrot, but we’re a big fan of the hearty meat variety.
Hearty Chili con Carne
This is the most filling version of chili. Make it as spicy as you like. You can also add more beans to make it extra hearty, like a can of mixed beans. It can be topped off with grated cheddar, pickled red onions or chopped green onions, sliced avocado, and a dollop of sour cream to help tame the spice, and served with crusty rolls or tortillas. We like serving it with garlic bread. Add a fresh green salad or creamy slaw on the side and you have a perfect winter meal!
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 ½ pounds lean ground beef
2/3 cup red wine (optional)
2 beef bouillon cubes
2 (16 ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes, chopped, juice reserved
1 (12 ounce) can tomato paste
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tablespoons dried parsley
2½ teaspoons dried basil
2½ teaspoons chili powder
1½ teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained
1 can of fresh or frozen corn (optional)
12 drops hot pepper sauce (e.g. Tabasco)
3 tablespoons flour
3 tablespoons corn meal
½ cup water
Directions:
1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add green pepper and onion. Cook and stir until softened. Stir in ground beef and cook until browned. Stir in wine (if using) and crumble over bouillon cubes. Cook for a few more minutes.
2. Stir in chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, and garlic. Season with parsley, basil, chili powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, and oregano. Stir in salt and pepper. A half teaspoon of cumin can also be added if you like the taste.
3. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer for 90 minutes, stirring occasionally while scraping bottom of pot.
4. Stir in kidney beans, corn (if using) and hot pepper sauce. Add reserved tomato juice if more liquid is needed. Continue to simmer for an additional 30 minutes.
5. Whisk flour, cornmeal and water together in a small bowl until smooth. Stir into chili and simmer for a further 10 minutes, or until chili has thickened up slightly. If you want a thinner, more soup-like consistency, you can omit this step.
6. Ladle into bowls and add whatever toppings are your favourites. Serves 8. Enjoy!