# What is the weirdest "secret" ingredient you have used in chili? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 9, 2005, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-weirdest-secret-ingredient-you-have-used-in-chili/334969 "2005-12-09T23:58:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-weirdest-secret-ingredient-you-have-used-in-chili/334969/61 "2005-12-12T00:00:49Z")
I added more tabasco and more worcestshire, plus some black pepper. I just tasted it, and it’s very spicy, but not too spicy, and it’s not bad. Actually, pretty damn good. Kind of tastes like it wants to be on top of spaghetti, Cincinnati-style, but since I already made corn muffins I’m not going that route. ---
**Author:** ![SkipMagic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skipmagic/32/20706_2.png) [@SkipMagic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkipMagic)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-weirdest-secret-ingredient-you-have-used-in-chili/334969/62 "2005-12-12T00:07:45Z")
I know, I know: a little late since it’s gone to two pages, but I’m moving it over to **Cafe Society** –our secret ingredient for cooking threads. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-weirdest-secret-ingredient-you-have-used-in-chili/334969/63 "2005-12-12T00:10:32Z")
I put a little curry in mine. If, by chance, it needs a little thickening or it’s too salty, I grind up a small potato and add that. I once made vegetarian chili using egg plant instead of meat, no one believed me. ---
**Author:** ![Agnostic\_Pagan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c4cdca/32.png) [@Agnostic\_Pagan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agnostic_Pagan)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-weirdest-secret-ingredient-you-have-used-in-chili/334969/64 "2005-12-12T00:28:14Z")
> [@trublmakr](#): > > I added more tabasco and more worcestshire, plus some black pepper. I just tasted it, and it’s very spicy, but not too spicy, and it’s not bad. Actually, pretty damn good. Kind of tastes like it wants to be on top of spaghetti, Cincinnati-style, but since I already made corn muffins I’m not going that route. Glad to hear it turned out okay. (Forgot about worchestershire, another basic ingredient, :smack: ) ---
**Author:** ![aliencase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@aliencase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aliencase)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-weirdest-secret-ingredient-you-have-used-in-chili/334969/65 "2005-12-12T00:44:05Z")
\ YOUR PARENTS \ ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-weirdest-secret-ingredient-you-have-used-in-chili/334969/66 "2005-12-12T02:36:29Z")
What **InvisibleWombat** and **Agnostic Pagan** said about cumin: it’s gotta be there. Chili’s just some half-ass thing without it. I add ground mustard to mine, but I don’t think that’s particularly unusual. I toss in a can of garbanza beans along with the kidney beans. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-weirdest-secret-ingredient-you-have-used-in-chili/334969/67 "2005-12-12T03:38:55Z")
> [@Kolak of Twilo](#): > > I grew up in Texas and tho I left long ago I still make Texas style chili. And there surely are not any beans to be found in it. As I understand it, in the original Texas chili-for-purists, there are practically **no** ingredients but meat, fat, and chili peppers; and just maybe garlic. No tomatoes or tomato sauce, not even onions, let alone bell peppers. Am I wrong? ---
**Author:** ![EvilGhandi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@EvilGhandi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilGhandi)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-weirdest-secret-ingredient-you-have-used-in-chili/334969/68 "2005-12-12T05:06:25Z")
Ok. here’s how you do it. Make a big pot of your favorite steakhouse chili, know that there will be a couple of guys that bitch it aint hot enough. For them, Take about a pound of habenero, scotch bonnet or christmass peppers, whatever 's handy. Run them through your food processer until you get a paste. Add abought a cup of acetone to the paste and stir. Let stand about an hour. Wash your hands. First pour off the mix through a sieve. Discard the pulp, Let stand. Pour off the remaining liquid through a coffee filter. Leave it open for a day or two untill ALL the acetone is gone. Add a few drops of vinegar, you should have about a half ounce of the most deadly hot sauce you ever tryed. Serve on the side. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-weirdest-secret-ingredient-you-have-used-in-chili/334969/69 "2005-12-12T05:09:17Z")
> [@EvilGhandi](#): > > Ok. here’s how you do it. Make a big pot of your favorite steakhouse chili, know that there will be a couple of guys that bitch it aint hot enough. > > For them, Take about a pound of habenero, scotch bonnet or christmass peppers, whatever 's handy. Run them through your food processer until you get a paste. Add abought a cup of acetone to the paste and stir. Let stand about an hour. > > Wash your hands. > > First pour off the mix through a sieve. Discard the pulp, Let stand. Pour off the remaining liquid through a coffee filter. > > Leave it open for a day or two untill ALL the acetone is gone. Add a few drops of vinegar, you should have about a half ounce of the most deadly hot sauce you ever tryed. > > Serve on the side. 😕 Acetone? [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acetone](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acetone) In what form? And for what purpose? ---
**Author:** ![EvilGhandi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@EvilGhandi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilGhandi)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-weirdest-secret-ingredient-you-have-used-in-chili/334969/70 "2005-12-12T05:56:34Z")
\*\*Acetone? \*\* May be you missed this: “Leave it open for a day or two untill ALL the acetone is gone.” For the basic science impaired. The process above describes seperating polar from non polar solutions. The oil in the peppers will remain in the acetone while the water soluable elements will not. These are poured off. Acetone is highly volitile. If you are concerned test it by evaporating a test sample on a clean plate. If there is a residue you may wanty to switch brands. ---
**Author:** ![EvilGhandi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@EvilGhandi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilGhandi)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 8:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-weirdest-secret-ingredient-you-have-used-in-chili/334969/71 "2005-12-12T08:49:42Z")
Before the chem geeks jump on me I am going to retract the polar/non polar statement above. The process I described will indeed extract the capsacin from the peppers, it will not, however remove the water from the oil. To do that you would have to introduce a truely non polar solvent then separate them. Still the metod I described produces a kick ass hot sauce. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-weirdest-secret-ingredient-you-have-used-in-chili/334969/72 "2005-12-12T22:24:02Z")
> [@Agnostic Pagan](#): > > ( ☹ that I do not have mortar and pestle - which do you prefer - stone or wood? I don’t see how wood holds up though.) After breaking my ceramic mortar, I got a new polished granite set. I absolutely love it. They aren’t cheap, but they do a great job. I’m going to have to follow **devilsknew** ’s and **Chefguy** ’s suggestions with the paprika. Sounds great. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-weirdest-secret-ingredient-you-have-used-in-chili/334969/73 "2005-12-12T22:43:14Z")
Two things: -a tablespoon of peanut butter. -I crush half of the kidney beans into a paste. I make vegetarian chili, so thickening it is a concern. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-weirdest-secret-ingredient-you-have-used-in-chili/334969/74 "2005-12-12T22:43:41Z")
> [@EvilGhandi](#): > > The oil in the peppers will remain in the acetone while the water soluable elements will not. But, why do you want those oils removed from your hot sauce? Or have I got it backwards – is it the “water soluble elements” you want removed? Either way, why? ---
**Author:** ![Archergal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Archergal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Archergal)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-weirdest-secret-ingredient-you-have-used-in-chili/334969/75 "2005-12-12T22:53:09Z")
I put nutmeg in chili one time. I loved it. My husband, not so much. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-weirdest-secret-ingredient-you-have-used-in-chili/334969/76 "2005-12-12T23:10:29Z")
I don’t really add anything I’d consider “weird” to my chili. I do use true cinnamon sometimes (as opposed to cassia, which is what most cinnamon sold in America actually is) and occassionally a bit of Mexican oregano, but I don’t find those to be odd ingredients. Chocolate or coffee works, too. What I do do, however, which may be only ever so slightly off the beaten path, is combine meats: ground chuck, cubed pork shoulder, and cubed stewing beef (chuck/brisket/pot roast, etc…) or some combination thereof. I like the textural differences between the ground meat and cubed meat. Makes the chili heartier in my opinion. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-weirdest-secret-ingredient-you-have-used-in-chili/334969/77 "2005-12-12T23:18:18Z")
On the subject of meat, I really like making it with lamb. I like the flavor. In fact, I’d rather use mature mutton, which is reputed to have an even stronger flavor (chili is no place for delicately-flavored ingredients – and chili meat is **supposed** to be tough and fatty) – but you just can’t get mutton in an American supermarket! I even ran a thread about that: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=293673](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=293673) ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-weirdest-secret-ingredient-you-have-used-in-chili/334969/78 "2005-12-12T23:40:59Z")
In making white chili (chicken, white beans, etc.) I’ve used saffron to really good effect. ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2005, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-weirdest-secret-ingredient-you-have-used-in-chili/334969/79 "2005-12-13T00:05:31Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > On the subject of meat, I really like making it with lamb. I like the flavor. In fact, I’d rather use mature mutton, which is reputed to have an even stronger flavor (chili is no place for delicately-flavored ingredients – and chili meat is **supposed** to be tough and fatty) – but you just can’t get mutton in an American supermarket! I even ran a thread about that: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=293673](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=293673) You could try goat which would have a similar effect. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2005, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-weirdest-secret-ingredient-you-have-used-in-chili/334969/80 "2005-12-13T16:19:49Z")
I like mixing the meats, too. I’m making a venison chili today, and I’m pondering whether to mix in some pork or beef. I have to disagree with **BrainGlutton** on one thing, though. Chili meat is _not_ supposed to be tough. Fatty is fine, but not tough. If you like mutton, by the way, the place to get it is a county fair at the 4-H or FFA auction. Find somebody else who likes it and split a lamb with them. Depending on the fair, you’ll probably end up with 30-35 pounds of meat for the freezer, including ribs (rack of lamb, yum!) and legs. Good goat meat is _really_ tough to find in the U.S. unless you live in an area with a lot of Indian/Pakistani people or a top-notch Asian market. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-weirdest-secret-ingredient-you-have-used-in-chili/334969.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-weirdest-secret-ingredient-you-have-used-in-chili/334969.md?page=5)