Canned Chili In search of the holy grail.

[shooter2]

A lifetime ago, at least 65 years, I had my first bowl of chili. I was reading a western and the guy was chowing down on a bowl and I thought "that sounds pretty good." So, I went to our little corner grocery and bought a can of Hormel chili with beans. It was 35 cents if my memory serves. I thought I died and went to heaven.

Yes, I know that in Texas and elsewhere, CHILI DOES NOT HAVE BEANS. I can live with that. I've also had good chili in restaurants.

Once in Springfield, MO, a little diner had dynamite chili. I was just passing through. The hottest bowl of chili was on Guam in the late fifties. Even the next **** burned. It was great, but not sure my tender gut would handle the heat today. I have had Cincinnati chili in all ways up to five. It's not bad, but a simple bowl of good chili is all I seek.

Yes, I can make chili, but my quest here is simply to find a good canned chili with beans. The Hormel chili I referred to earlier is no longer made. Some fifteen or twenty years ago Hormel dropped that recipe' and came out with a chili that just does not measure up. Woe is me.

So, my question to you all is, what canned chili do you like? If you can relate to my Hormel chili, so much the better. Otherwise, give me your favorite(s). I do not care where it's from, I will try my damnedest to find it and import some. Obviously I prefer it with beans, but that is not a show stopper.

Have at it my friends and may the Gods be with you. S2

[DougGuy]

This thread needs some purple text.. Rife with possibilities of sarcasm but blatantly not sarcastic, I know I know, nobody eats canned chili, much less hunts it down, I mean WHO are you gonna get to guinea pig canned chili for one? Not I!

I do admit to having the occasional pair of chili dogs with Hormel chili no beans, it has a certain rankness to it that cannot be compared, nothing but nothing tastes exactly like it, and it reminds me of leaner times where we only had a short lunch break and chili dogs became a mainstay for a few months, but those were good times even though they were tight, and I cannot not enjoy the taste of a pair of these gut bombs every now and then to harken back the memories of those good days spent in Michigan in the winter of '85 with snow up to the waz00 and icicles hanging so far down and heavy that would kill a man should they fall on him..

Canned chili.. That's right up there with the best home remedy for a dose of the clap.. Somehow you are glad when both are gone.. :bigsmyl2:

[M-Tecs]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/07/best-canned-chili_n_4724101.html

[Ural Driver]

If its gonna be from a can, its gotta be Wolf Brand Chili..........with its roots in 1895 Corsicana, Texas............:redneck:

166031

[Col4570]

DougGuy,Very entertaining your description was a GAS.

[rockrat]

Wish I could help, but the only time I open a can of chili is for hot dogs and if it has to be canned chili, its the Hormel without beans and the hot variety.
I usually make my own chili in 10 lb lots and like to age it for at least 6 months in the freezer. Only other one in the family that can eat my chili is my daughter. I like mine HOT, as in chili petines(sp) and some habanero flavoring.

Dang, now I'm getting hungry.

[sawinredneck]

If its gonna be from a can, its gotta be Wolf Brand Chili..........with its roots in 1895 Corsicana, Texas............:redneck:

166031


I agree with this, best can of chili you will eat! Yes, I can also make chili, but my poor wife can burn water!

[swamp]

I have tried all I find in the market. No good ones yet. I will have to try the Wolf.
Sometimes it is nice to heat and eat with crackers. Takes me back to along time ago.
swamp

[NavyVet1959]

I've tried a few of the canned versions. They all were nasty and tasted like crap.

The best chili is made with diced meat, not ground meat -- not even "chili ground" meat. A lot of the seasoning packets sold in the grocery stores give you a good base to start with on the chili -- you just add more spices for your own particular tastes.

[pdumont01]

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160412/df278185aac7b7ae130ea971fe172d05.jpg

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[abunaitoo]

If I can find it, Chef Mate chili.
Used to be able to find it all over, but it seems to have disappeared.
Never tried Wolf brand.

[leftiye]

Nalley's Jalapeno Hot chili w/ beins.

[6bg6ga]

First of all your all wrong. Good chili has beans and ground meat. My favorite bean mix is Brooks chili mix. Recipe as follows... A couple of lbs of ground round, large can of tomatoes or a quart of home canned ones, a can of tomatoe sauce, a large onion diced, a large green pepper diced and then the spices chili powder and dried onion and some taco sauce and a can of Brooks chili mix. Let this cook about three to 4 hours and then enjoy.

[KAF]

Wolf is a good stand by

[Thumbcocker]

There is a small area in Southern Indiana and Kentucky where the locals make chili with (gack) spaghetti. This was on the menu in my grade school cafeteria in the 70's. Having spent my formative years in the south and south west I was horrified. I never could eat that abomination.

[Boaz]

Wolf is the best canned , I have survived on it for long periods of time working in the field . Yea beans or no beans .........I like both . Hormel is basically poor sauce for chili dogs .

[snowwolfe]

I like this topic:) Even though I prefer to make my own using chunks of bison there are times when I just want to open a can and pour it over a hotdog. Will look for the Stagg and Wolf brands while we are shopping.

[smokeywolf]

When I was a kid, Mom only bought Hormel. Now, the only time I eat canned chili (Hormel) is in a bean dip recipe I dreamed up back in my mid 20s.

Mrs. smokeywolf makes a killer pot of chili. We usually can about half the pot.

[brass2bullets]

It's a toss up between wolf and Stagg for me. Stagg chili is more available where I live so I go with it. Both verities with beans and no beans are tasty and chunks of meat. Great chill to eat alone or put it on Navajo tacos. [emoji4]


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[C. Latch]

I'm mainly posting so I can read the other replies.

I like Texas chili - even if made under strict rules than minimize or eliminate tomatoes and beans. I also like Cincinnati chili (especially if eaten at a Skyline with giant mounds of shredded cheese on a chili dog). I like pretty much everything in between. Beans or not. Just as with BBQ, I enjoy it all, and enjoy watching the regional fights over 'how it's done'.

When I make chili, personally, I'll start by browning some chopped up venison minute steak, or chopped up 'stew meat' and an equal amount of ground venison (beef is fine, but we eat a lot of venison so that's what we use), and maybe half again as much pork breakfast sausage, roughly a 2:2:1 ratio.

I'll add a can of tomato sauce, some chipotle roasted peppers and/or roasted and ground ancho peppers (walmart sells these loose, in the produce section, nowadays). Sometimes I add beans, sometimes I do not.

We usually eat our chili with lots of shredded cheese, corn chips (fritos style), and a bit of sour cream.

As for finding anything like that in a can.....I cannot help you there, but wish you well on your search, and if something's suggested by a member here and I later see it in a store, I'll probably try it.

[MrWolf]

+Another Wolf (goes with my profile [smilie=l:) Costco sells em.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

1660552nd vote for Nalley Jalapeno Hot. Can says, "Not for the timid". Have never tried Wolf Brand--will look for it.

[runfiverun]

they way I learned to judge canned chili is to eat it right from the can.
cold.
if it burps up the same as it went down the can needs a liner and I move along to the next one.
the can taste is because the chili has low PH tomato sauce in it.
I'm not a fan of Jalapeno's I just don't like their flavor all that much.
but the Hormel extra hot shown above isn't too bad if you put some ghost pepper hot sauce and some onions in it.

[WILCO]

https://www.aldi.us/typo3temp/pics/091014_R_51941_BKD_ChiliWithBeans_D_6e121573e7.jpg

Great by itself or dressed up with other ingredients.

[onceabull]

The Stagg brand labeled "Dynamite Hot--ignited by Habanero peppers" seems a click and half hotter than Nalleys Jalapeno Hot to my mouth...First tasted the Wolf Brands on our first trip to SWMBO High School reunion in Kerrville,Tx. Did without until WalMart moved into our area,now they no longer stock it here,at least in the only close location.. The local food liquidator has been trying for months to move the 6 Lbs plus cans of Wolf Straight Chili @ $7.99 ea, when they get the Stagg brand of the straight stuff they will sell out of 36 cans in 2-3 weeks...Of course,those will all be closedated mdse.. I'm thinking it's a regional thing... Onceabull

[rockrat]

Will have to check the grocery store, but I don't think Wolf or Stagg brands are carried around here. That "habanero hot" stuff sounds tasty

[facetious]

When the wife"s gallbladder gave out years a go the Dr. asked her what the last thing she ate was,she told him it was a can of chili. He said caned chili can find more bad gallbladder's than any thing else. Now she won't eat it any more even though she had it taken out. For me it is just some thing to take camping now.

[MT Gianni]

Kind of like the difference between canned peas and fresh or canned tomatoes and garden fresh. I only eat it when there is nothing else.

[Char-Gar]

If its gonna be from a can, its gotta be Wolf Brand Chili..........with its roots in 1895 Corsicana, Texas............:redneck:

166031

I agree 100%. Wolf Brand Chili is a Texas staple. Wolf now makes several varieties to suits a variety of tastes. I will admit to stocking the original Wolf Brand Chili in my pantry. My favorite use is to pour some of it over a plate of tamales. That is how they used to serve it in Fisher's Cafe in downtown Brownsville 50 years ago. After a night on the town in Matamoros Mexico I always stopped at Fisher's in the wee hours for a plate of those things. Fisher's was open 24/7/365. Fisher's is long gone, but a plate of tamales covered with Wolf chili brings it all back, except the hangover the next morning.

[FredBuddy]

Back in the old days, my last stop Saturday night was Tony Paco's Café on Front Street in Toledo, Ohio. I stood in the back, drank beer, and listened to the "Cake Walkin' Jazz Band". Then just before closing time, when the crowds thinned out, I would get a bowl of "Tony's Mom's Homemade Chili. Cleared the senses for the drive home.

This was the place my grandfather send my dad to on Sunday to get a bucket of beer for a nickel, which also entitled him to take stuff from the buffet. This was during the Depression.

Tony Paco's is still there. You can find their canned hot dog chili around here (central Ohio), which I like on Hebrew National hotdogs.

There's more, but I'll stop here.

[onceabull]

Do any of the longtime Texans here remember when it was that ConAgra scooped up Wolf Brand chili...The stuff Walmart had hereabouts seemed to give up a lot to what I brought home from an HEB store In New Braunfels 12-15 years ago...It wouldn't be the first time a comp. had to cheapen the product in order to meet Walmart's pricing requirements..I Think I remember that ConAgra also scooped up Dennisons when American Home Products gave the old heave to their food products line..in the old days,pre 1970s,Dennisons was way better than Hormels ,but you had to pay for the diff... Onceabull

[C. Latch]

I agree 100%. Wolf Brand Chili is a Texas staple. Wolf now makes several varieties to suits a variety of tastes. I will admit to stocking the original Wolf Brand Chili in my pantry. My favorite use is to pour some of it over a plate of tamales.


You, sir, have, or at least had, a stronger stomach than I.

[beezapilot]

I had some Costco Ranch Gold a while back and liked it- our Costco never heard of it- what I really liked about it was it seemed to be not so salty as many canned chili- lower sodium and more actual spice

[Boaz]

I helped make brick chili in a packing house . Pig snouts , pig tongue , hog maw , tripe , beef heart , beef lungs . Cooked it all day in 50 gallon pots and it was dang good !

[exile]

I think this is an interesting topic. We make our own chilli, but if I could find a brand of canned chilli with no sweetener of any kind (I haven't eaten refined sugar in 22 years) I would buy two or three cases and put them aside for emergencies. Anybody have any thoughts on sugar content? Thanks.

exile

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

There is a small area in Southern Indiana and Kentucky where the locals make chili with (gack) spaghetti. This was on the menu in my grade school cafeteria in the 70's. Having spent my formative years in the south and south west I was horrified. I never could eat that abomination.
In rural Minnesota, we called that Chili Mac...one of my Mom's "MAIN" dishes that uses canned chili as an ingredient. Now, as an Adult, I make my own chili...I'll leave the canned chili for someone else.

[Mtnfolk75]

Hormel No Beans variety is what I keep in our pantry for emergencies or grandkid visits, they love it over Beef Dinner Franks with chopped White Onion, Pickled Jalapeno Rings, shredded Mexican 4 Cheese Blend & Sour Cream. SWMBO poured some over some fresh 80/20 Ground Beef Patties last nite, topped with Jalapeno Rings, Mexican 4 Cheese & Sour Cream .... as my Old Huntin' Bud used to say " It'll make a turd .... "

[Char-Gar]

Do any of the longtime Texans here remember when it was that ConAgra scooped up Wolf Brand chili...The stuff Walmart had hereabouts seemed to give up a lot to what I brought home from an HEB store In New Braunfels 12-15 years ago...It wouldn't be the first time a comp. had to cheapen the product in order to meet Walmart's pricing requirements..I Think I remember that ConAgra also scooped up Dennisons when American Home Products gave the old heave to their food products line..in the old days,pre 1970s,Dennisons was way better than Hormels ,but you had to pay for the diff... Onceabull

There are now about a half dozen products marketed by Wolf as chili. However the original hasn't changed, as least as my taste buds know. Avoid the lean, no fat, beans, mild or super hot stuff. Just buy the original.

[Char-Gar]

You, sir, have, or at least had, a stronger stomach than I.

I still eat that stuff on a regular basis. As my Grandfather used to say; "You just don't know what good is.".

I like to make a tamale chili casserole. Layer tamales in the bottom of a casserole dish, cover with a can of Wolf Brand Chili, add a layer of chopped onions and shreaded cheese, with a few jalapenos chopped in. Add another can of Wolf Brand chili and cover the top with more cheese and onions. Bake until it is done. This is so good, it will make you want to slap your mama. Caution: This is not a heart healthy dish.

[Nueces]

Dang, CG, now my tummy's hungerin'!

[onceabull]

Char-gars comment about the Wolf varities intrigued me,so I did something my daughter calls google-foo, and ,begorrah, There are 11 diff.varieties listed on the Corp.website...6 sans Beans, if you REALLY want to count TURKEY chili...We only see 3-4 at most here, and Never the Turkey stuff...the last time we packed in for Elk hunting(3 man adventure) I took the 6+ Lb can of stagg straight, simmered up some pinto's for the other 2 gents, had cheese,corn, and sour cream (while it lasted) available.for those who prefer theirs decorated. Used some of it for something the kids call a breakfast burrito on the two days we were weathered in for the morning..Like about every non-pro horsepacking outfit we have nearly always been a least a horse and a half short of what we really needed..Finally solved that by building an oldfashioned mountainman cache,so we could leave really heavy stuff like big cast Iron skillets,grills,and dutch ovens, coleman type fuel to winter over from year to year.. safe hidden in a jungle of old windfall lodgepoles with new growth at the 20-25 foot level,we never lost a thing... doing that meant we could make the chili onsite..put the meat in two small icechests with dry ice on top,tape the openings,,and we were good for 5-7 days even if we didn't get snow..Dry pintos, peppers,et al,could even winter over if we were really loaded coming out...Not a threat to one of Howard Copenhaver's elk camps,but a lot more affordable... Onceabull

[C. Latch]

I still eat that stuff on a regular basis. As my Grandfather used to say; "You just don't know what good is.".

I like to make a tamale chili casserole. Layer tamales in the bottom of a casserole dish, cover with a can of Wolf Brand Chili, add a layer of chopped onions and shreaded cheese, with a few jalapenos chopped in. Add another can of Wolf Brand chili and cover the top with more cheese and onions. Bake until it is done. This is so good, it will make you want to slap your mama. Caution: This is not a heart healthy dish.


I'm going to have to try that.

[buckwheatpaul]

Wolf is the best canned , I have survived on it for long periods of time working in the field . Yea beans or no beans .........I like both . Hormel is basically poor sauce for chili dogs .

Have to agree with Boaz.....and the others that voted for Wolf......if I dont have time to make it....it will be WOLF!

[smoked turkey]

In response to the original post I just wanted to let everyone know that that chili place in Springfield, MO is still serving their famous chili. Its Casper's on West Walnut Street. He started serving his recipe in 1909 and according to reliable sources it is still the same today. Yes it is still the same old Quonset hut. You can't miss it. If in Springfield its a must do for lunch. The reason I know some of these "facts" is because it was just voted as the best of the best for chili in rural Missouri.

[Rufus Krile]

I still eat that stuff on a regular basis. As my Grandfather used to say; "You just don't know what good is.".

I like to make a tamale chili casserole. Layer tamales in the bottom of a casserole dish, cover with a can of Wolf Brand Chili, add a layer of chopped onions and shreaded cheese, with a few jalapenos chopped in. Add another can of Wolf Brand chili and cover the top with more cheese and onions. Bake until it is done. This is so good, it will make you want to slap your mama. Caution: This is not a heart healthy dish.
And another Texas vote for Wolf. It's best used as CharGar suggests... as a quick and ready topping for tamales... but it also occasionally graces a plate of runny, sunny-side up eggs as a breakfast treat on one of those 'special' mornings returning from a night of debauchery. We really DO need a thread dedicated to 'Obvious Signs of a Mis-Spent Youth'.

[country gent]

I use hormels for making a chip dip 1 can hormels i jar salsa and a block of velvetta chesse, you can add some cheddear to Taste some fried hamburger and sausage. I eat wolfs as chilli. And if I want chilli dogs Its a trip to Tony Packos for hungarian chilli dogs pickle and pepper relish cheese and a bowl of mac and cheese.

[rockrat]

CG, that tamale thing sounds good, will have to try it this weekend, supposed to snow here.

[TXGunNut]

Another vote for Wolf. Original recipe is in my pantry, always will be. I used to like Hormel but no more. Just ground a bit of venison, may be time for one more batch of chili. Works better with a tough older buck but will use what I have. ;-)

[Mytmousemalibu]

Y'all are a bad influence! Just so happens I had to swing by the store and happened to be down the pickle isle which is also the chili isle. Some Wolf might have found it's way home with me! I have high hopes! I have had Stagg before and thought it was pretty good for canned stuff. Hormel on the other hand... that is some skanky, greasy gut-bomb stuff! I agree it used to not be so bad, it was ok for chili dogs and also added to a slab of Velveeta and Rotel and melted down for some chip dip. Now its like dog food with ketchup and grease trap drippings.... BARF!

We used to have this place here called Buck's Barbecue that my dad & I loved and ate there when I was a kiddo. They had chili bbq beans, pretty much just bean heavy chili but it also had chopped/cubed brisket in it, man was that ever good! Stagg reminds me of this, I hope Wolf is a throwback to my childhood!

[LUBEDUDE]

CG, I used to eat tamales covered in Wolf brand chile as well. I made it often as a kid and through the lean early married years in the 80's. Now I may make it once every few years. For me, one extra topping that takes it to a new level is a few fried eggs. Runny yolks of course!

[Char-Gar]

CG, I used to eat tamales covered in Wolf brand chile as well. I made it often as a kid and through the lean early married years in the 80's. Now I may make it once every few years. For me, one extra topping that takes it to a new level is a few fried eggs. Runny yolks of course!

Tamales are a staple of life down here on the Border. They are traditional for Christmas Eve and we always have a family "Tamalada". They are eaten year round as well. My wife, the Beloved Redhead, thinks Delia's in McAllen Texas make the best so she makes the 90 mile round trip to buy them there. She buys enough to stock the freezer for a few months to come. She likes chicken and bean, but I much prefer pork. Also down here, if requested they will mix some raisins into the masa, which are very good as well.

[LUBEDUDE]

Tamales are a staple of life down here on the Border. They are traditional for Christmas Eve and we always have a family "Tamalada". They are eaten year round as well. My wife, the Beloved Redhead, thinks Delia's in McAllen Texas make the best so she makes the 90 mile round trip to buy them there. She buys enough to stock the freezer for a few months to come. She likes chicken and bean, but I much prefer pork. Also down here, if requested they will mix some raisins into the masa, which are very good as well.

Few things much better than fresh homemade tamales! When the opportunity presents, I buy excessive amounts :)

[Nueces]

Rosie's Tamale House, in Bee Cave, Texas, is a yearly stop for Christmas Eve home made tamales. I steam heat 'em before covering 'em in Wolf Brand.

Lubedude, you'd enjoy a meal at a local chain, Maudie's Tex-Mex. They offer what they call the Strait Plate, named after George. Three beef enchiladas, covered in chili and onions and topped with fried eggs. I order the eggs over easy.

[Boaz]

Wolf brand :
http://www.wolfbrandchili.com/our-products

[Boaz]

Nother good easy Wolf recipe , enchilada casserole ;

Take a 40oz can of Wolf chili , mix with half the can of water , put a coating of it in a baking dish or pan . Put in a layer of corn tortillas (crushed Doritos or any corn chips will work also), layer of chopped onions , layer of shredded cheese (I prefer sharp) , Jalapenos (optional) . Pour Wolf and cover the cheese , Build as many layers as wolf will cover . Cover and bake at 350 for an hour . Easy and makes a lot .

Chili Fries ;
Put fries on a plate (bowl) cover generously with Wolf , cover with shredded cheese , chopped onion and fresh jalapenos (optional)

Wolf and baked potato :

Bake the potato , cut in half , cut each half again ..4 pieces spread out on plate , cover liberally with Wolf . Add cheese or whatever .

[square butte]

Sounds like a winner. For those of us trapped behind enemy lines - I wonder if any of the folks mentioned who make good tamales will ship them frozen. Could be pricey - but it might be worth it on occasion.

[Boaz]

LOL , I have tried it over bean sprouts and anything I could think of . Carried several cans in the truck or duffle bag in the oil patch . Couldn't count the times I heated up a can on a Walakhsa LRO draw works engine putting it partial open on the exhaust manifold or heated up with a cutting torch .

[Ural Driver]

LOL , I have tried it over bean sprouts and anything I could think of . Carried several cans in the truck or duffle bag in the oil patch . Couldn't count the times I heated up a can on a Walakhsa LRO draw works engine putting it partial open on the exhaust manifold or heated up with a cutting torch .


If I can see an open can of Wolf Brand sitting on the grill waiting for that "with chili" call from the waitress.......yeah, I'm eating there.:grin:

[Boaz]

Sounds like a winner. For those of us trapped behind enemy lines - I wonder if any of the folks mentioned who make good tamales will ship them frozen. Could be pricey - but it might be worth it on occasion.

Most of the little shops are not set up to ship probably. I am blessed with a tamale shop 2 blocks down the road thats been there since I was a kid . Got great brick chili too !

[buckwheatpaul]

Wolf brand :
http://www.wolfbrandchili.com/our-products

Hey Boaz, I think it is illegal to export Wolf Chile out of TEXAS!!!!!!

[onceabull]

I forgot to mention earlier that 2-3 Months ago the Albertson's nearest starting carrying "Pace" Chili-no beans..Since no one else has mentioned it here,I'm now thinking it's a test market item...Typical of most everything from Campbell's nowadays, theirs is a 14.5 oz Can, every other brand I've seen has been 15 Oz.for years. The stuff is tasty,all right,BUT VERY mild... Next try,I'll mix it up with a can of Stagg dynamite Hot.

[Boaz]

Thats probably true Paul . But don't worry they just want the ones with beans we never eat .

[Boaz]

I forgot to mention earlier that 2-3 Months ago the Albertson's nearest starting carrying "Pace" Chili-no beans..Since no one else has mentioned it here,I'm now thinking it's a test market item...Typical of most everything from Campbell's nowadays, theirs is a 14.5 oz Can, every other brand I've seen has been 15 Oz.for years. The stuff is tasty,all right,BUT VERY mild... Next try,I'll mix it up with a can of Stagg dynamite Hot.Heck .

Why mess with that just get the Wolf regular and put fresh jalapeno slices with the seeds in it . Tomorrow will be the dynamite part .

[Mytmousemalibu]

Hey Boaz, I think it is illegal to export Wolf Chile out of TEXAS!!!!!!

Well it's on the shelves here in Kansas! I wished I could regularly get Lone Star here..... :sad:

[Powder Burn]

Bought 3 cans of Wolf regular today based on replies here. I have some colon cleansing Jalapenos that should give me enough heat if I need it.

[MaryB]

Now I am craving tamales... wife of one of theguys I worked with at the casino used to bring in 2 crockpot fulls once a month and we pigged out in the shop. Nowhere around here for decent MX food...

[Nueces]

I often copy y'all's recipes, which then usually disappear into a computer file. But, today, on the way home, I stopped at the HEB and got tamales. Heated 'em up by covering them with a soaked paper towel and nuking 'em. Then a covering of good old Wolf Brand original. Man, was that good!

Next time, there'll be chopped onions and some shredded Colby Jack. If I'm serious, a couple of eggs over easy. And a Shiner Bock.

[NavyVet1959]

Next time, there'll be chopped onions and some shredded Colby Jack. If I'm serious, a couple of eggs over easy. And a Shiner Bock.

Try the Shiner Wicked Ram IPA... Definitely a lot better than Shiner Bock... Not as good as Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA though...

[rockrat]

Tried the Wolf chili tonight. Better than Hormel. Would be good for a chili dog. Eating out of a bowl with crackers, not so much. Will try the Stag Habanero this weekend.

[dk17hmr]

I believe it is in my pantry

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f208/dk17hmr/Mobile%20Uploads/KIMG0714_zpspcs5v5uh.jpg (http://s48.photobucket.com/user/dk17hmr/media/Mobile%20Uploads/KIMG0714_zpspcs5v5uh.jpg.html)

Add beans, onions, and jalapeños.

[C. Latch]

I ordered a six-pack of Wolf (no beans) off Amazon last night.

[Rufus Krile]

Avoid Lone Star... it has changed.

[Nueces]

Try the Shiner Wicked Ram IPA... Definitely a lot better than Shiner Bock... Not as good as Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA though...

I've tried several IPAs, NV, and don't care for them. I stock Shiner Bock and Warsteiner Dunkel at the house. When out, and consumption of beer is unavoidable ( :mrgreen: ), I'll usually select one of the local Porters, even a bright ***** Modello. Lone Star is good with cajun food.

In my experience, recommending beer is much like recommending Tex-Mex - averbody has his own tastes.

I'm really not much of a drinker, but a buddy started me on single malts, which we can get cheap at the military stores. Just recently, I found a new one, made right here in the Hill Country. Swift single malt: http://swiftdistillery.com Really smooth and sippable. Gonna ask the folks at Camp Mabry to carry it.

Added: So, have I earned any demerits for spelling out a commercial beer brand? Egad.

[mozeppa]

steak-n-shake is best!

166213

[abunaitoo]

I checked the net for Chef Mate chili.
Seems it's made for food shops.
I always wondered why I could only find it in the big can.
Anyone else a fan of it????
I'm guessing chili, like anything else, is a personal preference kind of thing.
I don't really care for Staggs. Hormel is not bad if you add to it. Didn't like Dennisons at all. Nalley's is OK.
We have a local made chili, "Zippy's". It used to be really good. Now it's just OK.
I picked up a can of Wolfs w/beans today. I'll try it some time this week.

[country gent]

I worked at campbells soups for 18 years in the tool room. It was interesting that there were diffrent seasonings for diffrent regions. Almost every product had 3-4 diffrent seasoning groups. Yes seasoning is a personal choice and also regional. Chicken noodle for texas may be slightly diffrent than for Maine or Ohio.

[onceabull]

As the gentleman said above the only place you will see ChefMate Chili hereabouts is in the local "wholesale" type store in the 6 Lb+ cans (It's what used to be a storefront label for the old "Smart& Final" Co. B4 it was taken private.. )Pretty good stuff without much heat, Made by Nestle....onceabull

[NC_JEFF]

I like Roadhouse and Firehouse chili. I think Campbell's may make them. The Firehouse being spicier

[dave roelle]

Char Gar hit it out of the park !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

homemade venison tamales---spicy for sure (raisins are over the top)-------------Wolf Brand Chili , chopped onions and peppers and fresh cheese on the side and a COLD brew

Those nights in Matamoros were the best kind of fun---sadly a thing of the past

Ya just gotta go to "the valley" to shoot doves and have great down to earth mexican food

Dave

[NavyVet1959]

I've tried several IPAs, NV, and don't care for them. I stock Shiner Bock and Warsteiner Dunkel at the house. When out, and consumption of beer is unavoidable ( :mrgreen: ), I'll usually select one of the local Porters, even a bright ***** Modello. Lone Star is good with cajun food.

In my experience, recommending beer is much like recommending Tex-Mex - averbody has his own tastes.

I'm really not much of a drinker, but a buddy started me on single malts, which we can get cheap at the military stores. Just recently, I found a new one, made right here in the Hill Country. Swift single malt: http://swiftdistillery.com Really smooth and sippable. Gonna ask the folks at Camp Mabry to carry it.

Added: So, have I earned any demerits for spelling out a commercial beer brand? Egad.

Never been much of a distilled spirits type of drinker. A bottle of rum or vodka will last me at least a year and scotch will last me a couple of years.

I only drink Lone Star when I'm feeling patriotic... It *IS* the "National beer of Texas"...

I like a dark beer like Guinness... Mackeson's is pretty good also. Same with Abita Turbo Dog. Some of the IPAs are good if they keep the IBUs up. I'm not a particular fan of the pilsners -- just too watery for my tastes.

I'm currently trying to decide whether I want my next keg to be Shiner Wicked Ram IPA or Sierra Nevada Topedo Extra IPA. My last keg was Shiner Bock and the last couple of glasses of it tasted a bit skunky after only 4 months. A keg of been normally lasts me for 6 months and this is the first one that has tasted skunky towards the end.

I guess you tried to post "Negra Modelo". It seems strange that the net nanny would filter that since "negra" is just spanish for "black"...

EDIT: OK... It allowed if for me, so you just must have spelled it wrong...

[Nueces]

I did spell it wrong. I pronounce it right at The Tavern, but miskeyed it here. And there is but one L in Modelo, too, so we both owe the black hats some 8-counts.

[NavyVet1959]

I did spell it wrong. I pronounce it right at The Tavern, but miskeyed it here. And there is but one L in Modelo, too, so we both owe the black hats some 8-counts.

Interesting... I spelled it right when I did a Google Search on it to see if had any of the accent characters, but got carried away with my Ls when I typed it here... :)

I went back and corrected it in my post...

I've had regular Modelo for one of my previous kegs, but haven't gotten it in any of the subsequent kegs. Something about drinking 15.5 gallons of one particular beer seems to make you tired of that flavor for awhile. :)

[rockrat]

Tried the Wolf chili over a beef tamale this evening. Not too shabby at all!

[condorjohn]

On ebay Wolf Chili is thirty bucks for 6, 15oz cans. I think I could make more than a gallon of some really
excellent stuff for less! I know, it's the convenience factor...

[rockrat]

Wow, I bought mine at the grocery store for $1.99/can. Have you tried Amazon

[SOFMatchstaff]

Last night I tried a can of Wolfs, at $3.59 a 15oz can, no beans, not worth the premium over the stuff I usually buy and doctor up to my specs. It didnt taste bad, but not 2 bucks a can better....

[Boaz]

Last night I tried a can of Wolfs, at $3.59 a 15oz can, no beans, not worth the premium over the stuff I usually buy and doctor up to my specs. It didnt taste bad, but not 2 bucks a can better....

If you can buy local the institutional (restaurant) can looks like a gallon is $about $12.00 here. We buy one and just bag in sandwich size ziplocks and freeze . Tear bag open , thaw , heat and eat .

[Rufus Krile]

Tried the Wolf chili over a beef tamale this evening. Not too shabby at all!


Down here if they ask you how many tamales you want and you reply 'one' it means a dozen. "A" tamal isn't anything but a sample to determine if it is spicy enough for you. The thread has wandered off into beer preferences (a natural digression) and discussion of Modelo and others... Even as close as I am to the border, finding any of the Mexican beers that aren't already skunky is pretty unusual. I am no longer a fan of Lone Star since they closed the brewery in San Antonio. Doesn't taste the same. There's nothing like walking into the cantina, wet concrete floors, open windows, spirited debate at the bar.... and ordering 'dos Estrellas, por favor'. If you've been out in the South Texas heat and dust, just watching those bottles come up out of the ice water makes it all better.

[Nueces]

Rufus, I'm from McAllen. Your post took me right back to The Valley in 1955.

[Mtnfolk75]

SWMBO opened a can of Campbell's Roadhouse Chili with Beans for lunch, over a handful of crushed Frito Scoops and topped with Jalapeno Rings, Green Onions, Sour Cream & Mexican 4-Cheese Blend is was ...... passable, barely. Will definitely make a turd, though ........ [smilie=s:

[Stewbaby]

Another Wolf fan here

[Rufus Krile]

Rufus, I'm from McAllen. Your post took me right back to The Valley in 1955.


Lived in Edinburg fm '73 thru '77. Wife taught school in Brownsville fm '73 'til we married in '75. Worked all over that area for many years (39) and really loved it early on. Not so much lately. The cantina described could have been any one of a hundred scattered all over from La Grulla to Hebbronville to Mirando City to San Isidro... they all looked pretty much the same. I miss 'em. And back to chili... Clancy's in Falfurrias with its special seasonings. Sweat would drip off Clancy's nose into the pot. It took a certain amount of beer to prepare for lunch there.

[MaryB]

Beer preference is whatever homebrew I have on hand or Fat Tire Ale. Lost my taste for lagers due to all the non barley grain they put in it.

[richhodg66]

steak-n-shake is best!

166213

We have a Steak and Shake in Topeka where I work, but don't live anymore and it's my favorite fast food place, the quality and service is just way better than any other. I have had their chili and they have specialties where they serve it on spaghetti as was mentioned, I didn't care for it, but their chili isn't bad if you get a bowl of it. Seems like I saw these cans for sale last time I went in there, might have to try a few.

I really like Steak and Shake, didn't know they had them outside of Kansas, they seem few and far between even here.

[buckwheatpaul]

I think that we need people from all over our nation to assemble somewhere in the middle and each bring a case of their chili and then have a taste off......we could sell tickets and the proceeds to benefit our site.....IMHO

[NavyVet1959]

I think that we need people from all over our nation to assemble somewhere in the middle and each bring a case of their chili and then have a taste off......we could sell tickets and the proceeds to benefit our site.....IMHO

The geographic center is in Kansas... I've been through Kansas once... It's not worth visiting again... After you've seen the first couple of hundred rolling hills covered with corn, the rest look just like them. :)

[rockrat]

Steak and Shake in OKC and Tulsa and in Virginia. Think there is one in Denver area.

[Char-Gar]

Lived in Edinburg fm '73 thru '77. Wife taught school in Brownsville fm '73 'til we married in '75. Worked all over that area for many years (39) and really loved it early on. Not so much lately. The cantina described could have been any one of a hundred scattered all over from La Grulla to Hebbronville to Mirando City to San Isidro... they all looked pretty much the same. I miss 'em. And back to chili... Clancy's in Falfurrias with its special seasonings. Sweat would drip off Clancy's nose into the pot. It took a certain amount of beer to prepare for lunch there.

I came to Brownsville in 1944 and here I am today. I did spend a few decades studying, living and working in other places in Texas, New Mexico and South America, but I am still a Border Rat.

This whole area has change for two primary reasons, NAFTA brought lots of people down here to take advantage of the free trade business. The American and Canadian appetite for drugs has also turned a bunch of small smuggling rings into a multi-national, multi-billion dollar enterprise with bloody wars for control. These drug wars have all but destroyed the Mexican northern frontier states and is doing serious damage to the South Texas Border area.

There are still vestiges of the old Valley left, but your have to get out into the rural areas to find them. Southern Cameron, Hidalgo and Starr counties are a cesspool of drug activity. Brooks county is still nice except for the alien smugglers crossing the ranches. Northern Starr County is still mostly the same old Spanish Land Grant family ranches. Jim Hogg County is still pretty much brush country ranches. Zapata country is drug central USA.

Still for those of us who grew up here, it is still home, although a much more dangerous place to be.

[jmort]

"The geographic center is in Kansas..."

Not any more.

For a while, this country’s geographic center bounced around the heartland like the ball on an old movie-screen singalong. When Alaska joined the union nearly 50 years ago, the government determined that the center — the theoretical balance point — had moved from outside Lebanon, Kan., to some inaccessible prairie here in Butte County, 439 miles to the northwest. (Fret not, Lebanon has adapted; it now calls itself the “Historical Geographical Center of the 48 States or the Contiguous United States.”)[/FONT]
Continue reading the main story (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/02/us/02land.html?_r=0#story-continues-2)



The geographic center of the contiguous United States is

[COLOR=#252525]Its position as located in a 1918 survey is located at 39°50′N 98°35′W (https://tools.wmflabs.org/geohack/geohack.php?pagename=Geographic_center_of_the_cont iguous_United_States&params=39_50_N_98_35_W_region:US-KS_type:landmark&title=Geographic+Center+of+the+Contiguous+United+S tates), in Kansas (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kansas) about 2.6 miles (4.2 km) northwest of the center of Lebanon (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lebanon,_Kansas), approximately 12 miles (19 km) south of the Kansas (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kansas)-Nebraska (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nebraska) border.[ (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geographic_center_of_the_contiguous_United_States# cite_note-doigs-1)

[abunaitoo]

Tried a can of Wolf Chili today.
It's good, but I like Chef mate better.
Now if I could only find a place that still has it.

[MtGun44]

You must be thinking of some other state, darned little corn grown in Kansas. Lots of wheat,
but only a little bit in the easternmost extreme, maybe first 60-100 miles, pretty much.

[MtGun44]

You must be thinking of some other state, darned little corn grown in Kansas.

Lots of wheat, but only a little bit of corn, in the easternmost extreme part, pretty much.

Iowa is where they grow corn, and Missouri, thinking of nearby states.

[Ural Driver]

We have a Steak and Shake in Topeka where I work, but don't live anymore and it's my favorite fast food place, the quality and service is just way better than any other. I have had their chili and they have specialties where they serve it on spaghetti as was mentioned, I didn't care for it, but their chili isn't bad if you get a bowl of it. Seems like I saw these cans for sale last time I went in there, might have to try a few.

I really like Steak and Shake, didn't know they had them outside of Kansas, they seem few and far between even here.

Grew up in St. Louis back when Steak&Shake still had carhops that brought your food in actual glass and ceramic dishes. After the Army I ended up in Texas where there were no S&S's until just a few years ago. Sit down/drive thru only but still pretty good food (especially the fries). Always found their chili to be ok, just sorta generic. My Dad did like their Chili with cheese and onions served over spaghetti. Ain't been in a while.......guess I need to stop by and give the chili a try with a more critical eye. And from what I can find there are over 500 stores in several States. [smilie=l:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steak_%27n_Shake

[NavyVet1959]

You must be thinking of some other state, darned little corn grown in Kansas.

Lots of wheat, but only a little bit of corn, in the easternmost extreme part, pretty much.

Iowa is where they grow corn, and Missouri, thinking of nearby states.

Well, I was driving from east central Iowa, so I would have been driving through the eastern portion of Kansas. It all looked alike after awhile...

Picked up a box of the 2-alarm chili mix last night and made a batch. It was OK -- definitely better than any of the can chili that I've tried over the years, but not as good as some of the other seasoning mixes that I've tried. Of course, I add more hot peppers to it... :)

[Gaseous Maximus]

I don't know if anyone is interested, but my wife and I have been using a frozen Chili called Texas Chili Co. One step Chili. It comes in a five pound container, and we get it from a local meat co., that mostly sells to restaurants. It runs about ten dollars and change, and doesn't have any beans.