Ed Dorfman, winner of many awards and trophies for his barbecue and chili, says that the ambience of his restaurant (Texas Chili and Rib Company, Phoenix, Arizona) is that of a small Texas bar. Basically a carry-out, his “small joint” seats about thirty people who dig into his brisket, ribs, chicken wings, and several different kinds of chili. About his love for chiles, he calls himself a “capsaicin-holic” who uses chile in everything he cooks–note the eight chile-related ingredients of this recipe.

Ingredients

• ½ pound bacon with fat

• 2 pounds Spanish onions, chopped fine

• 5 tablespoons New Mexican red chile powder

• 2 tablespoons cayenne powder

• 4 jalapeño chiles, stems and seeds removed, chopped

• ½ cup canned New Mexican green chile, chopped

• 1 dried red New Mexican chile pod, stem removed

• 1 pound Italian hot sausage

• Dash Tabasco hot sauce

• 1 teaspoon Hungarian hot paprika

• 3 pounds crushed Italian tomatoes

• 1 tablespoon Mexican oregano

• 10 ounces T-bone steak, chopped fine

• 5 pounds coarsely ground chuck

• 1½ cups water

• 1 bottle Lone Star Beer

• 2 teaspoons salt

• 1½ cups chopped bell pepper

• 1 tablespoon garlic in oil, chopped

• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

• 1 tablespoon raw sugar

• 5 tablespoons cumin

• 1 pound fresh armadillo meat (optional)

Instructions

Fry the bacon in a soup kettle, add the onion, and saut until soft. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about two hours, stirring frequently.

No project on chili con carne would be complete with out a recipe from a guy from Texas named Bubba. This wonderful recipe requires 3 hours cooking time and a bit of Texas magic!

Ingredients

Instructions

Brown the meat in a large pan on medium heat. Add the beef broth and tomato sauce, stir lightly and cover with the lid. When the mixture has started to reach a light boil, add the California Fancy or other hot chili powder, oregano, cayenne pepper, onion powder, white pepper, tomato sauce, New Mexico Light, MSG (if desired), paprika, and garlic powder and cook for 2 hours, or until the meat is tender. If the meat is tender before 2 hours, turn off the burner and let the pot rest.

One hour before serving time, reheat the chili on low heat, and add the cumin, onion powder, beef bouillon granules, Goya Sazon, chili powder of your choice, black pepper, garlic powder, jalapeño powder, chicken bouillon granules, and tomato sauce. Stir the chili well and add water if the mixture is too thick.

About 15 minutes before serving, add the cumin, garlic powder, chili powder of choice, onion powder and cayenne. Just before serving, add salt and cayenne pepper to taste.

Between albums, Canadian cowboy musician Ian Tyson always makes time to enjoy his wife’s chili. Chock full of venison, this chili is truely unique. His song, “Early Morning Rain,” made famous by his first group, Ian and Sylvia, is one of my favorite tunes of all time. Here is his highly unusual chili.

Ingredients

• 1 12-ounce can of beef consomme

• 1½ cups red wine

• 4 to 6 ounces tomato sauce

• 2 bay leaves

• 4 cinnamon sticks

• Pinch ground coriander

• 1 tablespoon dried oregano

• 2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 4 cloves garlic, chopped

• 4 to 5 venison steaks cut into bite-sized cubes

• 1 large onion, chopped

• 1 green bell pepper, stem and seeds removed, chopped

• 1 red bell pepper, stem and seeds removed, chopped

• 1 4-ounce can New Mexican green chile, chopped

• 2 to 3 jalapeños, stems and seeds removed, chopped

• 6 to 8 large dried apricots, chopped

• Cooked fettucine noodles

• Feta Cheese, sour cream, and hot sauce for garnish

Instructions

Combine the consomme, wine, tomato sauce, bay leaves, cinnamon, coriander, and oregano in a large pot.

Heat the oil in a pan until hot. Add the garlic and the meat and brown. Remove the garlic and the meat and put into the cooking pot. Add the onion, green and red bell peppers and the New Mexican green chile to the oil and saute for 1 to 2 minutes. Add to the pot. Add the jalapeños and apricots to the mixture and simmer for 2 hours. Turn off the heat and let stand for 1 hour. Reheat before serving.

Serve the chili on top of the fettucine noodles, topped with the feta cheese, sour cream, and hot sauce.

“My wife’s a great chili maker,” bragged Bill Mauldin, the famous political cartoonist. “Of course, she makes enough for a battalion in the infantry.” His soldiering background and pride in his mate’s culinary skills combine as Mauldin reviews the family’s favorite recipe.

Ingredients

• 2 to 3 pounds coarsely ground beef

• 1 tablespoon New Mexican red chile powder

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 large onions, chopped

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 3 bell peppers, coarsely chopped (preferably 1 red, 1 green, and 1 yellow)

• 2 8-ounce cans of whole tomatoes, chopped

• 1 8-ounce can of tomato paste

• 4 cups water

• 1 cup black coffee

• 1 tablespoon sugar

• 2 tablespoons vinegar

• 1 teaspoon oregano

• 1 teaspoon cumin

• 2 tablespoons salsa

• 2 tablespoons chile powder (1 tablespoon each of cook’s choice)

• 2 8-ounce cans kidney beans

Instructions

In a large skillet, brown the beef in small batches, sprinkling in the red chile powder while it cooks. Drain the fat off the browned beef and set aside. In a large soup pot, add the olive oil and saute the onions, garlic, and bell peppers until they are soft.

Add the chopped tomatoes and tomato paste to the sauteed vegetables along with the four cups of water. Stir in the coffee, sugar, vinegar, oregano, cumin, salsa, chile powder and browned beef mixture. Bring the chili to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for one hour. Add the beans and cook for another 15 minutes.

This chili is from the C.I.A.—the Culinary Institute of America, where Chef Jim Heywood teaches. He competed in fifteen chili cook-offs in 1992. “I&rquo;ve won a few along the way,” he notes, “including the Connecticut State Championship in 1988 and the New Hampshire State Championship in 1991. Jim is also one of the star guest chefs at the National Fiery-Foods & Barbecue Shows in Albuquerque.

Ingredients

• 5 pounds lean beef (chuck or round), diced in ½-inch pieces

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil

• 1.5 pounds onions, diced

• 6 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 cups dark beer

• 2 cups beef broth

• 1 6-ounce can tomato paste

• 1.5 cups diced New Mexican green chiles that have been roasted and peeled

• 2 to 3 jalapeños, stems and seeds removed, minced very fine

• 3/4 cup chili powder

• 3 tablespoons freshly ground cumin seed

• 1.5 tablespoons dried oregano

• Salt and pepper to taste

Lean Beef, Dark Beer, Tomato Paste, New Mexican Green Chile, Jalapeno, Cumin, Chili Powder

Instructions

In a large pot, brown the beef in the oil. Remove and reserve the beef, leaving the oil in the pan.

Saute the onions and the garlic in the remaining oil until soft. Add the beer, reserved beef, and tomato paste and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour, stirring frequently.

Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for another hour, stirring frequently.