# 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:** 6\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2005, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-weirdest-secret-ingredient-you-have-used-in-chili/334969/81 "2005-12-13T17:01:22Z")
Orange juice. For this purpose, sour is better than sweet. I made a really good batch of chili in the slow cooker a couple weeks ago by cooking a very lean pork roast in sour OJ until the meat started to shred. I added cumin, dried crushed peppers and other seasonings and let it cook another couple hours to blend the flavors. No beans in the chili, but I did serve some pintos on the side along with some biscuits. My guests ate 'til I thought they would explode. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2005, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-weirdest-secret-ingredient-you-have-used-in-chili/334969/82 "2005-12-13T18:34:34Z")
> [@InvisibleWombat](#): > > 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. Well, this is something I’ve read in several chili cookbooks. Chili is supposed to start with tough, cheap cuts of meat, cooked a **long** time to make it tender. If you make it with filet mignon or something you’re completely missing the concept. (Remember, chili was originally a way to make trail rations palatable. Many of the classic early recipes start with pemmican and suet. In equal amounts by weight.) ---
**Author:** ![Godfrey\_Daniels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Godfrey\_Daniels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Godfrey_Daniels)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2005, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-weirdest-secret-ingredient-you-have-used-in-chili/334969/83 "2005-12-13T19:21:03Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > My SIL the corn freak adds…corn. And hot peppers. > > Adding chocolate to Mexican dishes is common. It’s called a mole (prounced mo-lay, and spelled with an accent / over the “e.”) [http://www.ramekins.com/mole/whatmole.html](http://www.ramekins.com/mole/whatmole.html) Lots of types of moles. I also use a little masa for thickener sometimes. Beans should not be cooked with chili, but may be offered on the side. I also grew up in Texas, and pintos are damn near omnipresent. I add a pinch of cloves to my basic chili recipe which always includes jalapenos, serranos, and New Mexico chilis. I generally don’t use dried ground red chilis, but rather make a basic sauce in the blender with roasted NM chilis, tomato paste, water (or beer, or maybe a little whiskey) comino, a little olive oil, tiny bit of curry powder and cloves. Throw it all in a pot with a square of Ibarra chocolate and whatever other usual ingredients ( onions, garlic, bell pepper, etc) meat of choice. I use equal parts pork & beef. ---
**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 13, 2005, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-weirdest-secret-ingredient-you-have-used-in-chili/334969/84 "2005-12-13T19:55:52Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Well, this is something I’ve read in several chili cookbooks. Chili is supposed to start with tough, cheap cuts of meat, cooked a **long** time to make it tender. If you make it with filet mignon or something you’re completely missing the concept. (Remember, chili was originally a way to make trail rations palatable. Many of the classic early recipes start with pemmican and suet. In equal amounts by weight.) I think perhaps \*_Invisible Wombat_ thought you meant the end product is supposed to be tough, which it is not. But you also agree with this. Anyhow, yes, chili meat should come from what are generally considered the tougher parts of an animal–the muscley parts like shoulder and rump. For beef, chuck, pot roast, brisket, etc., are all typical cuts to look for. For pork, we’re looking at Boston butt. What you don’t want to use is lean steak or loin cuts. Those are for quick cooking over dry heat, not stewing. With stewing cuts, the meat starts off very tough, but over long, slow heat, the collagen breaks down in the muscle and the meat turns very very tender. With lean steak and loin cuts, the meat becomes tougher, rather than softer, the longer it is exposed to heat. ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2005, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-weirdest-secret-ingredient-you-have-used-in-chili/334969/85 "2005-12-13T23:12:28Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > 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? That’s pretty much my understanding too but I think you would find that things like cumin, garlic, onion, chocolate and most of the other things suggested in this thread have turned in recipes at the big time Texas chili cookoffs. I think the only thing that would be you in trouble would be that previously mentioned bean issue. Cinnamon might get you laughed at, but not tossed out of competition. This website, [Chili Appreciation Society International](http://www.chili.org/chili.html) will give you more information and also has past winning recipes listed. Don’t let the folks in the goofy looking hats scare you. ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2005, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-weirdest-secret-ingredient-you-have-used-in-chili/334969/86 "2005-12-13T23:16:38Z")
That should be: “…have turned **up** in recipes…” and “… the only thing that would **get** you in trouble would be that previously mentioned bean issue.” Learn to preview :smack: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-weirdest-secret-ingredient-you-have-used-in-chili/334969.md?page=4)