# Damn that's a good bowl of Chili! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [September 28, 2026, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damn-thats-a-good-bowl-of-chili/1033453 "2026-09-28T18:06:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2026, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damn-thats-a-good-bowl-of-chili/1033453/21 "2026-09-29T12:28:00Z")
Holy cow, this is graduate level chili cooking school! 😀 ---
**Author:** ![Thumper668](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thumper668/32/20803_2.png) [@Thumper668](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thumper668)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2026, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damn-thats-a-good-bowl-of-chili/1033453/22 "2026-09-29T12:30:22Z")
For those interested, the rules for the Texas chili cook-offs I have participated in are a bit restrictive. You must make 2 pots of chili in one hour. You can prep (chopping, slicing etc.) but you can’t cook anything before the start of the hour cook time. One pot is for the official judges and has no beans - as mentioned above this is so every spoonful is identical. The second pot is People’s Choice chili and has beans in it. That one is for festival goers to try and then cast votes for the People’s Choice award. That is the one I won at the Rio Concho festival in San Angelo. Back then the strategy was to make the official pot as hot as possible, ostensibly to pollute the judges ability to taste anything afterward. While competing was a fun experience, I don’t like the one-hour restriction because unless you are using ground meat it comes out rubbery. I like to cook my chili low and slow so the meat melts in your mouth. I also think beans should be optional for everyone. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2026, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damn-thats-a-good-bowl-of-chili/1033453/23 "2026-09-29T12:46:55Z")
Okay, I saved this and have decided I will give it a go over a holiday like Thanksgiving week or winter break. It’s way too much for me to tackle during a regular week. My uncle lives in Texas, so I sent it to him also. ---
**Author:** ![Thumper668](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thumper668/32/20803_2.png) [@Thumper668](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thumper668)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2026, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damn-thats-a-good-bowl-of-chili/1033453/24 "2026-09-29T12:53:53Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Sounds a bit like my chili, although I don’t use both beef and pork. When I went to the grocery store they had a deal on 1 lb packages of meat at 4 for $20. They had 2 beef chuck shoulders and 1 boneless pork shoulder left, so I rounded them out with a pack of chicken breasts Mrs Thumper can cook for dinner another time. I prefer not to use ground meat in chili for texture and usually the meat I use depends on what’s available and affordable. The beef and pork combination was surprisingly delightful. ETA: If you’re wondering what happened to the other half pound of beef, the dog and I did “quality control” while I was cooking the chili 😃 ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2026, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damn-thats-a-good-bowl-of-chili/1033453/25 "2026-09-29T13:08:17Z")
I won a chili cook-off in Moscow back in the '90s. The event was sponsored by the radio station where I worked. I made two pots of the stew, one red with ground beef and one green with shredded stew meat. I also cooked a pot of pinto beans and pork in cheesy sauce to be eaten as a side dish, No Carrol Shelby’s or Brown Bag fixings were available, so I had to concoct my own chili powder by trial and error. ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2026, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damn-thats-a-good-bowl-of-chili/1033453/26 "2026-09-29T13:36:25Z")
That recipe looks solid, @Thumper668 , and not too finicky. I am not a chili expert, but on occasion make a version that a friend (also not a chili expert) taught me at one point. Really a “chuck stuff in a pot that seems like it would go in chili” type thing that just has loose measurements, but is some version of: - a few onions, maybe 2lb - chopped garlic - can(s) of diced tomato - 2 cans of kidney beans - can of pinto beans - 1lb of beef (I think when my friend made it it was ground beef, but I use cubed whatever cut these days) - 1lb of pork sausage - chopped bell peppers - fresh jalapeno - spices (cayenne, cumin) - non-hoppy beer - hot sauce to taste - a bit of maple, because Vermont … that’s it. It is not, I think a “traditional” taste, but it’s sweet and savory and spicy, and pretty delicious. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2026, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damn-thats-a-good-bowl-of-chili/1033453/27 "2026-09-29T13:57:21Z")
OP’s recipe looks good, and I will keep it in mind, especially now that the weather’s getting right for it (I know, chili is great in hot weather or cold, but there’s nothing much better than a hot bowl of chili on a chilly day- especially on a football Sunday). Myself, I like making a big batch of Chili Colorado every now and then. The recipe below is close to how I make it, though I have my own variations. One is, instead of rehydrating the dried chiles in hot water, I use hot beef stock, and blend the chiles and stock together. Some will throw out the rehydrating water, since they think it draws off excess bitterness from the dried chiles, but if you’re careful removing all the seeds, I’ve never found bitterness to be a problem. So I don’t want to waste the extra flavor of the rehydrating liquid. The dried and rehydrated chiles add a lot of non-spicy flavor but are not really spicy at all on their own, so I add plenty of fresh Jalapenos. And a Habanero or two maybe. > **[Chili Colorado Recipe](https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/recipes/chili-colorado/)** > > Chili Colorado is a traditional Mexican recipe of pork or beef stewed low and slow in a rich red chili sauce, hence the name "colorado", which means "colored red", not from the state of Colorado. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2026, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damn-thats-a-good-bowl-of-chili/1033453/28 "2026-09-29T14:39:29Z")
I don’t like ground meat in chili either. I’ve won a few chili contests on a smaller scale (office-level stuff, which is like shooting fish in a barrel), but most people seem to like what I make. ---
**Author:** ![Cardigan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardigan/32/187_2.png) [@Cardigan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardigan)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2026, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damn-thats-a-good-bowl-of-chili/1033453/29 "2026-09-29T14:59:18Z")
> [@Thumper668](#): > > You must make 2 pots of chili in one hour. This makes perfect sense as a condition for a contest where time is an important consideration (folks don’t want to wait around all day to sample the finished product), but let’s be honest, the best chili was made at home _yesterday_ because it sat in the fridge overnight and then reheated so the ingredients have blended as thoroughly as possible in a way that only 24 hours can accomplish. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2026, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damn-thats-a-good-bowl-of-chili/1033453/30 "2026-09-29T14:59:30Z")
My chilis are heavy on the beans, at least three varieties and often more. Meat is optional, but if there is, it has to be beef. > [@Thumper668](#): > > You must make 2 pots of chili in one hour. You can prep (chopping, slicing etc.) but you can’t cook anything before the start of the hour cook time. That’s a recipe for substandard chili, to my tastes. A chili isn’t really _done_ until the second day of stewing. The beans need to be cooked long enough that they’ve fully absorbed the flavors. ---
**Author:** ![Thumper668](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thumper668/32/20803_2.png) [@Thumper668](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thumper668)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2026, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damn-thats-a-good-bowl-of-chili/1033453/31 "2026-09-29T15:03:57Z")
> [@Cardigan](#): > > the best chili was made at home _yesterday_ because it sat in the fridge overnight We are in exact agreement here. > [@Pleonast](#): > > A chili isn’t really _done_ until the second day of stewing. Again, I agree completely. > [@Pleonast](#): > > The beans need to be cooked long enough that they’ve fully absorbed the flavors. This is precisely why I never add beans to the pot, only the bowl. I want those flavors in the whole dish, not thick and spicy bean soup. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2026, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damn-thats-a-good-bowl-of-chili/1033453/32 "2026-09-29T16:50:22Z")
> [@Thumper668](#): > > thick and spicy bean soup. That is my goal. 🍲 ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2026, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damn-thats-a-good-bowl-of-chili/1033453/33 "2026-09-29T18:29:14Z")
> [@Thumper668](#): > > That is the one I won at the Rio Concho festival in San Angelo. Back then the strategy was to make the official pot as hot as possible, ostensibly to pollute the judges ability to taste anything afterward. Aha! I thought so. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2026, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damn-thats-a-good-bowl-of-chili/1033453/34 "2026-09-29T18:57:25Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > I don’t like ground meat in chili either. The key is to go to a store that’ll do custom meat cutting, pick out some chuck or brisket, and ask them for “chili grind”, which is coarser than your standard ground beef and holds the flavor of the spices better. Unless, of course, you’re making Cincinnati chili, in which case you throw the meat in some cold water, pound it into a thick pink slurry, and then boil the hell out of it to get tiny little meat pebbles that blend right into the sauce. (This is also how I make white guy taco meat that has the same texture as the stuff from Taco Bell.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damn-thats-a-good-bowl-of-chili/1033453.md?page=1)