History of Chili Con Carne Essay Example

Masa, a dish prepared from either cornmeal or corn processed with alkaline lime to produce hominy, is frequently served as a thickening agent and flavor enhancer.

The American recipe adopted for journeys incorporated dried beef, suet, dried chili peppers, and salt. These ingredients were combined and compressed into bricks which were left to dry. They could be subsequently boiled in pots on the way. The "San Antonio Chili Stand", which was functional during the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago, enabled individuals from different regions of the country to experience and enjoy chili. As a popular tourist spot, San Antonio played a key role in promoting Texas-style chili con carne across the South and West.

The U.S State of Texas officially declared Chili con carne as its state dish in the year 1977, as stated by the House Concurrent Resolution Number 18 of the 65th Texas Legislature during their regular meetings. In the 1880s, there began a tradition where Hispanic women, fondly referred to as 'chili queens', started serving this dish in public places such as the Military Plaza and other areas in downtown San Antonio. These women would start their businesses at sunset by lighting wood or charcoal fires to warm up pots of pre-made chili, which they sold by the bowl to pedestrians. The appetizing smell of this dish whipped up consumer interest. As a perfect accompaniment to this, mariachi musicians would tune their instruments to entertain those relishing the dish. Over time, some chili queens established semi-permanent stalls within the local Mexican market, referred to as "mercado".

The San Antonio Health Department introduced stringent sanitary rules in September 1937, compelling the chili queens to meet the

same hygiene standards as indoor eateries. The inability to provide necessary restroom facilities led to the rapid disappearance of the queens and their "street chili" culture. However, Mayor Maury Maverick temporarily restored their privileges in 1939 before the city permanently reinstated stricter rules in 1943. In the 1970s, San Antonio's Mercado underwent renovations, at that time being the largest Mexican market in the United States. Local vendors started recreating scenes from the chili queens' golden era.

Currently, the "Return of the Chili Queens Festival" is included in the annual Memorial Day celebrations in the city. Prior to World War II, small, family-operated chili parlors or "chili joints", were prevalent not only in Texas but also in other states where Texan emigrants resided. Each of these places boasted a unique "secret recipe". By 1904, Chili parlors were operating beyond Texas. After his stint at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, Charles Taylor began a chili parlor in Carlineville, Illinois, where he served "Mexican Chili".

During the 1920s and 1930s, Midwest saw the rise of various diner-style "chili parlors". As of 2005, a remaining traditional chili parlor could be found on Pine Street, downtown St. Louis. This parlor is famous for a unique chili-laden delicacy known as a "slinger" which consists of two hamburgers with melted American cheese and two eggs, drowned in chili, and sprinkled with shredded cheese. Among the most famous Texas chili parlors was Bob Pool's establishment situated in Dallas. It gained recognition due to its central location and influential clientele, located just across the street from the prestigious Neiman Marcus department store.

Stanley Marcus, who presided over the store, was often seen dining there. He even made a

habit of purchasing Pool's chili and air shipping it to friends and cherished clients nationwide. In the early 1950s, several staff members from General Dwight Eisenhower's SHAPE team reportedly set up frequent chili deliveries from Pool's to their residences in Paris. The unique Texas-style chili is devoid of beans and at times, is prepared exclusively with chili peppers, barring other vegetables. A chili concoction known as "Pedernales River Chili," named after his ranch in Texas Hill Country, became a favored recipe of President Lyndon Johnson.

The recipe excludes the conventional beef suet, per Johnson's physician's advice, following his heart attack as the U.S. Senate Majority Leader, and incorporates tomatoes and onions. LBJ had a predilection for venison over beef when available, as deer from Hill Country were believed to have less fat. Due to the multitude of inquiries for the recipe, it was printed on cards by First Lady Lady Bird Johnson for distribution. In the 1960s and 1970s, vegetarian chili or chili sin carne (chili without meat) gained extensive popularity in the U.S. amidst the surge of vegetarianism.

This is also favored by individuals following a diet that limits red meat consumption. In order to prepare the chili in a vegetarian manner, the meat is either omitted by the chef or replaced with a plant-based alternative like textured vegetables or tofu, or another type of vegetable like potatoes. These types of chilies almost invariably contain beans. Variations can include ingredients like corn, squash, mushrooms, potatoes, or even beets. Corn, squash, and beans are often referred to as the "Three Sisters”, pivotal crops in Native American farming practices in the American Southwest. They were grown collectively and

coexist harmoniously in terms of nutritional benefits. Consuming corn and beans together results in a complete protein.

In contrast to the traditional preparation of chili using a tomato-based sauce and beef, white chili employs great northern beans as well as turkey or chicken breast. Once cooked, this dish has a white hue. Cincinnati-style chili, on the other hand, is customarily used as a topping for "Coneys" hot dogs or spaghetti rather than being consumed standalone as a stew. Incorporation of spaghetti pasta is a characteristic feature of Louisville-style chili. Chili verde, also known as green chili, is from Mexican and Mexican-American cuisines and can range from moderately spicy to very spicy. It's generally made by slow cooking pieces of pork in chicken broth with garlic, tomatillos, and roasted green chilies.

The use of tomatoes in chili is infrequent. Adjustments to the level of spiciness in chili are often made using different types of peppers such as poblano, jalapeno, Serrano, and on the odd occasion, habanero peppers. A popular filling for the San Francisco Burrito is Chili verde. In locations, such as San Antonio and other cattle towns, beef was both abundant and affordable, making it a common ingredient in chili. However, as chili made its way to eastern locations where beef was pricier, chili with beans became a popular variation. In some of these eastern locations, this version of chili is often referred to as chili beans, while the term chili is specifically used for the all-meat version. Numerous types of beans such as black-eyed peas, kidney beans, great northern beans, and navy beans are typically used in chili beans.

The term 'Chili bean' is also used to

describe a small red type of common bean, frequently known as the pink bean. The moniker may have evolved due to the bean's likeness with small chili peppers or due to its usage in chili recipes. It's commonplace to find beans in most commercially produced canned chili. 'Chili No Beans' is the usual name for commercially made chili that doesn't include beans in the United States. Certain U.S. producers, such as Bush Brothers and Eden Organic, also market canned, precooked beans (without meat), under the label "chili beans".

The purpose of these beans is for consumers to incorporate into their chili dish, and they are commonly retailed with spices included. There is a famous saying among chili enthusiasts; "If you understand beans about chili, you comprehend that chili doesn't contain beans," however, studies indicate that adding beans to chili is not considered inauthentic. The Chili Appreciation Society International established directives in 1999 stating, among others, the prohibition of adding beans, marinating meats, or firing guns during the process of preparing chili for official contests.

Pinto Beans, consistently used in Tex-Mex cuisine, have traditionally been linked with chili. The suitability of beans in chili has provoked disputes amongst chili chefs for a considerable amount of time. It's plausible that in numerous lower-income regions of San Antonio and other locales tied to the birthplace of chili, beans were utilized instead of meat or alongside meat. Tomatoes are another component that stirs differing views. Wick Fowler, a newspaperman from north Texas and creator of "Two-Alarm Chili," adamantly added tomato sauce to his chili — one 15-oz can for every three pounds of meat.

Matt Weinstock, a columnist for a Los Angeles

newspaper, made it known that Fowler's chili was so powerful, it was said to expose eighteen sinus cavities unknown to doctors. This belief highlighted Fowler's theory that chili ought to be refrigerated overnight rather than consumed fresh in order to enhance its taste. In addition to this, a variety of ingredients like sweetcorn, peanut butter, oranges, tomatillos, chorizo, chocolate, coffee, cola, honey, cinnamon, allspice, saffron, vinegar, wine, whiskey, bourbon, beer and more can be used in the cooking process. Furthermore, thickening agents such as cornstarch and masa are commonly used.

Dark chocolate offers a genuine depth of flavor similar to that seen in various types of Mexican mole sauce (negro, rojo, or poblano). A bowl of chili is often paired with different drinks such as frosty beer, cola for a complementary sweet flavor, or cool milk to soften the pepper's effect on the throat. The meal can be garnished or served with extras; shredded cheese is a typical garnish, alongside broken saltine crackers, store-bought corn chips, Jalapeno cornbread, rolled corn tortillas, and pork tamales.

Hailing originally from New Braunfels, Texas, and later relocating to San Antonio, Willie Gebhardt made history by producing the earliest canned chili in 1908. Lyman Davis, a rancher from near Corsicana, Texas, invented Wolf Brand Chili in 1885. A lover of the Texan-style chili, he ran a meat market and, collaborating with an adept range cook in the 1880s, he initiated the production of a potently spiced chili. This recipe involved chunks of lean beef and rendered beef suet and was sold to local cafeterias by the pot. Davis started canning his unique recipe in 1921, which he named after his pet wolf

"Kaiser Bill."

Renowned entertainer Will Rogers was particularly fond of Wolf Brand canned chili, taking a whole case with him during his travels and performances around the globe. The popular country singer Ernest Tubb was also a big fan, prompting a Texas hotel to keep Wolf Brand stocks specially for his stays. Currently, both the Gebhardt and Wolf brands belong to Con Agra Foods Inc. Across the pond in the UK, Stagg, a subdivision of Hormel foods, sells the most preferred brand of canned chili. Marketing commercial chili was done through "brick chili" in the period before home refrigeration became commonplace.

This was created by extracting almost all the water, resulting in a solid object approximately the same dimensions and contour of half a brick. Initially, Wolf Brand was marketed in such a shape. Predominantly found in small townships and countryside regions of the American Southwest during the initial 75% of the 1900s, brick chili has largely surpassed its relevance and is now rarely seen. However, the Dolores Canning Co. in southern California continues to manufacture a conventional brick chili known as the "Dolores Chili Brick".