Chili/Soup/Stew thread

[MaryB]

You aren't kidding about letting the powder settle! My homemade chili powder has habenero in it, thai bird chili's, serrano... I popped the lid on the coffee grinder to soon when doing the habenero... eyes watering, nose running, coughing... load that stuff in a paintball and it would be effective crowd control if fine ground so it floats in the air.

[Ole Joe Clarke]

We had left over household soup last night with cornbread. There is no recipe, just start with some tomatoes and add left overs from the fridge, some potatoes and anything else you like.

Ya'll are making me hungry just reading about this good food.

Have a blessed day,

Leon

[Moonie]

You aren't kidding about letting the powder settle! My homemade chili powder has habenero in it, thai bird chili's, serrano... I popped the lid on the coffee grinder to soon when doing the habenero... eyes watering, nose running, coughing... load that stuff in a paintball and it would be effective crowd control if fine ground so it floats in the air.

I can relate, I had a friend that found out I had a juicer and brought me some jalepeno's, wanted them juiced... Do NOT do something like that, it was very painful, pepper sprayed the whole room...

[Landy88]

Beef & Beer Stew

3 slices of bacon - diced
4 onions - in 1/2" wedges
1 T oil
2 lbs beef - 1" cubes - elk venison is better yet, deer doesn't work as well for some reason.
3 T flour

Brown all of these, and then add:

2 t brown sugar - I use only one
1 T cider vinegar
3/4 t salt
1/4 t fresh ground BP - I use 1/2 t
12 oz dark beer - Modelo Negra works well, is easy to find, and another bottle or three washes it down nicely.
1/2 t dried thyme leaves

Bake all for 2 hours at 350

I know that it's missing some traditional stew ingredients, but try it as is before you add anything.

[Rick N Bama]

We had left over household soup last night with cornbread. There is no recipe, just start with some tomatoes and add left overs from the fridge, some potatoes and anything else you like.

Ya'll are making me hungry just reading about this good food.

Have a blessed day,

Leon

That's what we call "Clean-Out Stew".

[MaryB]

Fridge clean out soup... whatever has been in there a couple days... although these days I try to not make things that make to many leftovers....

[texasnative46]

MaryB,

As the late Paul Crume of THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS famously said: If it has beans in it, it ain't chili.

Btw, chili was invented by San Antonio's CHILI QUEENS about 1830 to feed the flood of single men, who came to The Alamo City seeking free land, a Latina wife & in many cases, a NEW start.
(A bowl of chili with tortillas, onions & coffee cost "one small Spanish silver coin" in SEP 1935, according to the BEJAR EXPRESS.)

TEXAS RED is believed to have been originally based on a COMANCHE recipe that used horsemeat, masa, water & dried chilies as the main ingredients.

yours, tex

[MaryB]

Yup my traditional chili with hand chopped chuck is bean free, as is my chili dog chili made with ground beef. But I like to stretch the meat supply sometimes and beans are cheap! Plus I like pintos when they soak up that chili liquid.

[Rick N Bama]

Yup my traditional chili with hand chopped chuck is bean free, as is my chili dog chili made with ground beef. But I like to stretch the meat supply sometimes and beans are cheap! Plus I like pintos when they soak up that chili liquid.

The good people of Kentucky put Spaghetti in their Chili to make it stretch. I just can't bring myself to eat it that way.

[texasnative46]

Rick N Bama; MaryB,

I cannot imagine that those good folks in KY know much about chili.
(I was once stationed there with the MPs at Ft Knox & found NO decent Tex-Mex anyplace.)

NO self-respecting Texican would even consider putting beans/pasta into chili. = We often serve pinto/black beans WITH chili. = That's where the "chili sets" that have a tray with TWO bowls & a pair of spoons came from.

yours, tex

[DerekP Houston]

Rick N Bama; MaryB,

I cannot imagine that those good folks in KY know much about chili.
(I was once stationed there with the MPs at Ft Knox & found NO decent Tex-Mex anyplace.)

NO self-respecting Texican would even consider putting beans/pasta into chili. = We often serve pinto/black beans WITH chili. = That's where the "chili sets" that have a tray with TWO bowls & a pair of spoons came from.

yours, tex

lol guess I ain't self-respecting , no arguements here. Beans are just cheaper than beef, I find it hard to believe this wasn't true back in 'the day' as well.

[texasnative46]

DerekP Houston,

IF pasta/beans being dumped into chili isn't bad enough, some places "way up yonder" put shaved pieces of CHOCOLATE in what they call chili. = YETCH.

yours, tex

[DerekP Houston]

DerekP Houston,

IF pasta/bean being dumped into chili isn't bad enough, some places "way up yonder" put shaved pieces of CHOCOLATE in what they call chili. = YETCH.

yours, tex

That sounds disgusting.....at least to me. I bet they make tofu chili in California though (looking at you OS OK!)

[texasnative46]

DerekP Houston,

I know for a fact that the folks in "Duh Pepul's Republick of Kalifornication" add guacamole dip, mayonnaise, crumbled bacon, shredded cheese, chopped scallions & a bunch of other stuff to what they CLAIM is "chili". = I was once stationed with HQUSAMTMC in LA County.
(I must admit that the BEST Cambodian food that I've ever eaten was in San Pedro, in a "hole in the wall joint" that only had 4 stools & 3 tables for 4. = My then GF & I had lunch with Paul Newman & Joanne Woodward one day. = He asked me very politely if they could join us at table, as there were NO empty tables. = Rachel said, "Oh indeed you may." - Nice guy & lady, too.)

yours, tex

[texasnative46]

To All,

BTW, REAL Mexican food in the USA is "where you find it". = When I was stationed in Baltimore, MD during Desert Shield, of all places, I was told that there was a GREAT Mexican café out near John's Hopkins hospital.

YEP, GREAT/authentic Mexican there. = Turns out that a young female MD from JHHC went to Acapulco on vacation for a month, met a YM on the beach, fell in love, married him there & insisted that he return to B'more with her.
Turns out that he was the Head Chef at a hotel in Mexico City & a few months after he came to the USA they opened a café in Charm City.
(I'd bet money that that place is the ONLY decent place in MD to have Mexican food.)

yours, tex

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I bought one of those mini crock pots...I think it's 1.5qt ?
It is perfect for Bachelor chili.

Bachelor chili
There isn't much to it, I use whatever leftover meat is in the frig, roast pork or roast beef prefered.
One 15oz can of chili beans...that is beans (pintos or navy or ???) with chili powder in the liquid.
Some chunk tomatos, fresh or canned.
a tablespoon of tomato paste
chili powder
garlic, since I grow garlic I use fresh, but garlic powder is fine.
fresh course ground black pepper
Cayenne powder to taste
salt to taste (optional)

Put it all in the mini crockpot, including the canned bean liquid...but NOT including any liquid from the canned tomatoes, if you aren't using fresh.

I start this early in the morning before breakfast and then I have lunch and supper ready when needed.

PS, this could be done with a small pot on the woodstove as well, double-boiler style if your stove is a HOT one.

[Reverend Al]

I love to add dumplings in my stews ...


Easy Dumplings for Soups or Stews

1-1/2 cup All-purpose Flour
1/2 cup Yellow Cornmeal
1 Tablespoon (heaping) Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
1-1/2 cup Half-and-half
2 Tablespoons Minced Fresh Parsley or 1 Teaspoon of Sage (optional) or both
Salt as needed

Mix all of the dry ingredients and then add the 1/2 and 1/2 and mix until you have a slightly dry dough. Add to soups or stews by heaping tablespoons and put the lid back on and let them simmer for another 15 minutes or more.

(The cornmeal helps them to hold their shape so that they don't fall apart.)

[MaryB]

Beef heart stew

1/2 a beef heart cleaned and cubed
Chopped onion
Chopped garlic
Rendered fat from fat trimmed form the heart, do this first and render it while cleaning sinew/veins from the heart. I sliced the fat 1/4" thick and put it in the dutch oven on low heat.

Brown the meat in the rendered fat with the onion, add the garlic towards the end so it doesn't burn
Add water to cover
Add Beef Base(Better Than Bullion) to taste
Pepper to taste

Simmer until the meat starts to get semi tender then add

Peeled and cut up carrot
Peeled and cubed potato

Simmer until veg is tender
Thicken with method of choice(I use cornstarch)