Never Put Tomatoes In Chili Con Carne

Heresy In The House

Controversy time here at Father Time's Place. It has come to my attention that the majority of the recipes for Chili Con Carne contain tomatoes, tomato paste, or some other perverted form of tomatoes. (Ketchup is an example. Yuk!)

Therefore, having been granted unlimited authority by a government agency to make statements of condemnation without obtaining a warrant, I hereby declare any recipe for Chili Con Carne containing tomatoes to be a complete and utter fraud. "But Father Time," you say, "aren't you supposed to be open-minded, employing the guidelines for free and open dialog you endorsed in the Diversity Ethic post sometime ago?" My reply, "OK, so I have some work to do in the area of self-discipline. But hey! We're talking chili here, not religion!"

Be Forewarned. This subject not open to opposing views, (this means you FLY) neither will I entertain any intellectual presentations attempting to question my judgment. Further, any attempts to foist your Grandmother's recipe on me will also be rebuffed. This topic is HUGE with me. Do not mess with the Old Man. Do I make myself clear?

Texas Exception - if you're from SW Texas, we can discuss this because y'all invented this stuff in the first place.

"Authentic" Chili Con Carne

Basic Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil (or bacon grease if you're a cowboy)
1 lb ground beef - coarse ground is best if you can find it.
1 medium onion chopped
4 cloves garlic minced
4 cups of beef stock (option - 2 cups beef stock and 2 cups beer)
2 cans pinto beans
3 tablespoons coarse corn meal (sometimes marketed as polenta)
2 tablespoons cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
2 tablespoons regular store-bought chili powder
1 tablespoon chili ancho - roasted, seeded, and finely ground*
*Go to this link for more info on Ancho Chili Peppers

Preparation
Heat the olive oil in a large sauce pan. Brown the ground beef, onions, and garlic in the olive oil with 1 tablespoon of regular chili powder. When browned, add the beef stock and pinto beans. While the mixture is coming to a boil, mix the corn meal with two or three tablespoons of cold water. Just as the mixture starts to boil, add the corn meal & water mixture. (This is tricky because it works best if you're stirring the chili with one hand and pouring the corn meal in with the other to prevent lumps. Good luck!) Immediately turn the heat down and simmer for 30-60 minutes.

About 10 minutes before serving, add the cumin, oregano, remaining chili powder, and ancho chili. Allow to simmer for the remaining 10 minutes. Caution - simmering longer seems to diminish both the flavor and the "bite."

Serving
Our family likes to top off their chili bowls with some freshly chopped onions and grated cheddar cheese. Serve with warm French bread and cold beer. One permutation Father Time learned in Denver is to serve it over warm macaroni. I know that's sick but it's addictive. ENJOY!