Traditional chili recipes call for beef in chunks or coarsely ground; onion; garlic; and the classic seasonings of cumin and oregano.
And chiles - whole or roasted and ground. The hotter, the better, some say.
It is the amount of capsaicin in the chile membrane that determines its heat. And it is not water-soluble, which is why all the beer in the world won't put out the chili fire in your mouth. Eating bread, which can rub the capsaicin off your tongue and the lining of your mouth, is one way to provide relief from the heat.
But what sets chili apart - as much as its heat - is its sustained regionalism. Even after 200 years, Texans consider the addition of tomatoes and beans to chili to be tantamount to a criminal offense. And every chili cook in every part of the country has his own sacred recipe.
In a country where food preparation is so homogenized that we are all eating the same things - sort of like the dinner equivalent of parity in the National Football League - that's worth noting.
this is chili?
Here are some of the unusual ingredients we found during our search for the essential chili recipe:
* Chocolate, blue cheese or masa harina. When the Aztecs used chocolate, it was bitter, so its inclusion in chili should not be a surprise. Blue cheese and masa harina, a corn flour, can be used to take some of the sting out of chili.
* Lobsters, crabs, okra or catfish. Every region is entitled to its own chili. The Northeasterners, with their love of lobster, and the Northwesterners, with their Dungeness crabs, are no different. Some Louisiana cooks claim their gumbo, which has okra, is a version of chili. And there is a recipe for catfish chili from Mississippi.
* Tequila . A splash is added to "housebreak" really hot chili. Of course, you are free to have yours in a shot glass on the side.
* Chickpeas and dried fruit. Moroccan-vegetarian chili is made with chickpeas, apricots and prunes and served with toasted pita or on a bed of steamed couscous. Some might say that whatever this dish is, it is not chili.
Sources: cookbooks, interviews and Web sites
Susan Reimer
nancy longo's chili
(serves 10)
12 cloves garlic, chopped fine
1 bunch garlic shoots, chopped fine (see note)
1 bunch green onions, chopped fine
3 large yellow onions, cut into 1/2 -inch dice
2 tablespoons butter
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork
