David used to be the most amazing chili chef - a great straight-up traditional red chili, white chili with jalapenos, Coney-style chili, vegetarian chili, even one really fantastic sausage-and-steak-based one with chocolate that nabbed him the top prize at the chili cook-off at work. This was fantastic stuff. It lasted longer than most of our other pre-diagnosis favorites, since it has no gluten or dairy to begin with (though he missed the sour cream and shredded cheese toppings). Once he figured out that nightshades were also a culprit, that was the end of an era....and the beginning of another one.
Me: You can't call it chili. There's no chili in it.
Him: Sure I can.
Me: Yeah, but it's not chili. It's something else and it's plenty tasty, but it's not chili.
Him: Yes it is.
Me: No it isn't.
Him: Yes it is.
This is as sophisticated as the argument gets. However, the "Official Rules and Regulations for Cooks at the World's Championship, State, Regional and District Chili Cookoffs" of the International Chili Society clearly state that "True chili is defined by the International Chili Society as any kind of meat, or combination of meats, cooked with chili peppers, various other spices, and other ingredients..." And I'm sure that members of the Chili Appreciation Society International, the International Connoisseurs of Green & Red Chile, and all the other chili-related organizations out there will agree with me.
Since this is my blog, I declare myself the winner. Nonetheless, here's David's recipe:
Nightshade-Free So-Called "Chili"
1 large onion, chopped
1 lb. beef, ground for chili (some meat counters offer this. Use the regular ground stuff if you can't find it)
1 teaspoon dried mustard
2 teaspoons (or more) cumin
1/2 teaspoon (or more) garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon (or more ) onion powder
dash of dry mustard
dash of cocoa powder
dash of MSG
2 ribs celery
1 can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
Brown the meat and onion together in a large pot or Dutch oven; drain if needed. Add water and spices, stirring to combine well. Simmer for 10-15 minutes. Dice the celery and add to the pot along with the beans. Cook until the celery is tender and adjust the spices to taste.
At this point you may be saying to yourself, "Jen, that sounds mighty tasty but it sure ain't chili." And you would be totally correct. Here is my version (which, alas, did not win the chili cookoff at work today but was still damn good), courtesy of Cooking Light magazine, November 2007:
Beef, Black Bean, and Chorizo Chili
2 links Spanish chorizo sausage (about 6 1/2 ounces), thinly sliced1 1/2 pounds beef stew meat
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 (7-ounce) can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup dry red wine
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 (14-ounce) cans less-sodium beef broth
1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes, undrained and chopped
2 tablespoons masa harina
2 (15-ounce) cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add chorizo to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until browned. Remove chorizo from pan. Add half of beef to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until browned. Remove beef from pan. Repeat procedure with remaining beef. Add onion and garlic to pan; sauté 3 minutes.
Remove 4 chipotle chiles from can, and chop. Reserve remaining chiles and sauce for another use. Add chorizo, beef, chopped chiles, tomato paste, and next 6 ingredients (through ground cumin) to pan, and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in red wine, lime juice, beef broth, and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
Gradually stir in masa harina. Add pinto beans and black beans; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes.