[CH] Chili styles - View from the sideline
Kristofer Blennow (kristofer@blennow.se)
Sat, 25 Sep 1999 18:33:27 +0200
It has been very interesting to follow the mass of posts following my
"flexible chili" question. Been reading them all with a constant
smile on my face.
Conclusion: Anything goes.
So. I was brought up with Swedish style "Chili Con Carne". At that
time I had no clue what the *words* meant. The Swedish version is
minced beef, tomatoes, onion... and... y'all sitting down... Heinz
Baked (white) Beans in Tomato Sauce. Usually spiced with nothing,
ummm... salt, maybe some "chili powder" (mild mix of cumin, oregano,
coriander... ), the more adventurous cooks would *walk by* the stove
with a jar of cayenne powder, sometimes even with the lid off. Also,
a must is ketchup, or (for the classy people) Heinz "Chili Sauce"
(the Swedish bottle label even says it is essential for "chili con
carne"). The ketchup's sweetness, together with the overall lack of
acidity, makes for a truly bland "School Kitchen" taste. Indeed
awful. It is usually served here with RICE. Well, I can understand
the need for a cheap carbohydrate side... but... well, it does not go
that well with that generous amount of beans.
So, as I grew up, I learned that "chili con carne" means "peppers
with meat". Simple. Great. And some "initiated" celebrity cook wrote
somewhere that "The only thing that is NOT included in an 'Authentic
Chili' is beans". Right. Thanks. Mexicans that don't have beans with
every meal. Makes sense.
Okay, got some ideas to implement. Get back to y'all later...
Kristofer