The Great Chili Debate: With or Without Beans?

I’ve eaten chili all my life.  My mom makes a mean chili and I’m always happy to eat some.  Not until maybe 5 years ago did I become aware of the fact that there is a heated debate over whether or not a true chili contains beans.

I grew up eating chili with beans.  I think that in the beginning of this style, the beans were used as a way to stretch the use of a single pound of meat.  It was economical and it grew into an acquired taste.  There are people who will smack the teeth right out of your face if you question their usage of beans.

I make chili without beans.  It’s not that I don’t like chili with beans, I just honestly like it a little better without.  I used to always make my chili with beans because it’s the kind that both my husband and I grew up eating.  Then one night my husband was complaining incessantly (if you know my husband, you know that incessantly is the only way that he knows how to complain) that he wanted chili for dinner.  I didn’t have beans on hand and you know how much I hate those small trips to the store.  So I made him chili without the beans and I added a few new spices just for kicks.  As it turned out, we were both stunned at how much we preferred this style over the previous style.

Chili (No Beans)

My Recipe

-1 lb. 80/20 ground beef

-2 15-oz. cans tomato sauce

-1 medium onion, diced

-3 cloves garlic, minced

-1/3 cup brown sugar

-1 tsp. salt

-1/2 tsp. black pepper

-1/4 cup chili powder

-1 tsp. cumin

-1/4 tsp. coriander

-1 tsp. dried oregano

-1 tsp. dried parsley flakes

-1/2 tsp. cinnamon

-1/8 tsp. ground cloves

-5 good shakes of Tabasco Sauce

-1/4 tsp. Cayenne pepper

Brown the ground beef in a skillet.  Don’t drain.  Chili, somehow, is better greasy. Trust me.

Heat a dutch oven over medium heat.  Heat 1 Tblsp. olive oil in the dutch oven.  Add onions and cook until translucent.  Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

Add the two cans of tomato sauce.  Stir.  Add ground meat and juices.  Stir.

Add brown sugar and stir well.  Then add the rest of the ingredients.  Stir and let heat through.  Once the mixture is heated, give the chili a taste and adjust the seasonings to your taste.  Once the seasonings satisfy you, lower the heat and cover.  Cook for 30 minutes.

I like to serve this with homemade cornbread.  Sprinkle some shredded cheese and minced white onion over the chili.   YIELD:  4 large servings.

I know that a few of those spices seem a little out of place in a chili, but trust me when I say that it adds a new level of spice to the mixture.  Sometimes I like to add some chopped bell peppers of banana peppers to this as a little extra.

If you insist on beans, add two cans of drained chili beans and omit the cinnamon, cloves, and coriander.  They don’t have the same magic with beans.

I think the only chili that could possibly ever really offend me is a runny chili.  I like a thick and hearty chili.  Runny chili is just, well, disgusting.  So work on that, you runny chili people!  Otherwise, cook on!  Chili is great in cold and hot weather and is a great dish to make for company since most people love it.

Enjoy!

Related posts:

1. Red Beans and Rice
2. Chili Lime Chicken and Roasted Asparagus
3. Turning Lamb Leftovers into Indian Lovin’s