Nothing warms body and soul on a cold winter day like a bowl of chili.
This dish apparently originated in the American southwest, and I can
find no mention of it in any cookbooks prior to 1906, although it
almost certainly was know to cowboys and trail hands long before that.
Publishing a chili recipe is a culinary mine field. Everyone has
their own favorite recipe, complete with secret ingredients, and
thousands of people all over the US enter chili contests every year
convinced that their recipe is the best, even if it didn't win a
prize. Purely by coincidence, one of today's pen-pal recipes is for
chili.
Purists insist that chili be made without beans, and concede that if
you must have them they may be added at the table. I disagree. I
love beans in any manner, and chili without beans is like a joke
without a punch line: tantalizing but not satisfying. Apparently
people like Elizabeth Taylor, John Wayne, and Jack Lemmon agree with
me, because the following recipe is from the famous and now defunct
Hollywood restaurant Chasen's, and they all counted it among their
favorites. Legend has it the Miss Taylor even had it shipped to her
when she was filming movies in far-flung corners of the globe.
Chasen's Chili
1/2 lb (225 g) dried pinto beans, rinsed and picked over
5 cups (1.25 L) canned crushed tomatoes
3 medium green bell peppers, cored, seeded,
and coarsely chopped
1 Tbs (15 ml) vegetable oil
4 medium yellow onions, peeled and coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1/2 cup (125 ml) finely chopped fresh parsley
8 Tbs (120 ml) butter
2+1/2 lbs (1.2 Kg) ground lean beef chuck
1 lb (450 g) lean ground pork shoulder
1/3 cup (85 ml) chili powder
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tsp (10 ml) ground cumin
Soak the beans overnight in a large heavy pot with enough water to
cover the beans by 2 inches (5 cm). The next day, cover and simmer
the beans in the water they soaked in for 1 hour, until tender. Add
the tomatoes and simmer 5 minutes longer. Meanwhile, in a very large
heavy skillet, fry the bell peppers in the vegetable oil over moderate
heat, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes, or until limp. Add
the onions and continue frying, stirring frequently, for 5 to 8
minutes, until the onions are "glassy". Add the garlic and parsley
and set aside. In another large heavy skillet, melt the butter over
moderate heat and brown the meats for 15 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add the vegetable mixture and chili powder and continue cooking 10
minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the meat mixture to the beans,
along with the remaining ingredients, and simmer covered 1 hour.
Remove the cover and simmer an additional 30 minutes, stirring
occasionally, and skim as much fat as possible from the surface. This
chili will keep refrigerated for 3 to 4 days, and freezes
exceptionally well. Makes about 1 gallon, or 12 to 16 servings.