I know you’re convinced that a little cinnamon improves your chili.

You are incorrect on this conviction.

  • rumba@lemmy.zip
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    2 days ago

    If you use cinnamon and cloves in chili, the cinnamon and cloves should be almost undetectable. The spice is meant to provide a warm undertone.

    Realistically, if you want to properly experience it, forget adding cinnamon and add good quality chorizo. It has cinnamon, but brings a lot more to the table.

      • rumba@lemmy.zip
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        1 day ago

        You know, I’ve never tried it with chili, but I’ll bet it would be wonderful. I’m thinking the cardamom’s going to get lost really quickly, I would probably add it once at about the middle of the cooking, and then lightly dust it again at serving for the aroma.

    • djsoren19@yiffit.net
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      2 days ago

      Beans are the foundation of chili. You can remove all the meat from a chili and still call it chili. You cannot remove all the beans and still call it chili.

      • anomnom@sh.itjust.works
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        2 days ago

        Yes: Pinto beans are called chili beans for a goddamn reason. But also kidney beans in the mix (and black beans at least) are delicious too.

        • HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world
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          44 minutes ago

          I can’t find good kidney beans (all the ones I find, their skins are too tough compared to the other beans) so I use navy beans instead. Also pinto beans. I can’t remember the third but it’s a three bean chili dammit who ever heard of a two bean chili

      • 1ostA5tro6yne
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        2 days ago

        beanless chili exists and is called chili by millions of people tho. linguistic prescriptivism is dumb.

    • AA5B@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      Beanless chili only works as a hot dog condiment. I don’t see the point otherwise

      • 1ostA5tro6yne
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        2 days ago

        If it’s going on something (dog, burger, noodles, frito pie, etc) then hold the beans, they’ll just fuck it up. But straight chili by itself? Yeah bean it up please, it needs them to stand on its own.

    • the_artic_one@programming.dev
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      2 days ago

      All the beanless chili I’ve had has been made with chunks of meat instead of ground meat so more like a spicy stew.

      • HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world
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        42 minutes ago

        I’ve had a lot with shredded beef, but that’s probably because they were too lazy to cut it after smoking. Shredding is easier.

    • frezik@midwest.social
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      2 days ago

      That’s not completely off, but it should be dark chocolate, not milk chocolate or whatever M&M’s are made with now. A little dark chocolate is great in chili.

      • TheFriar@lemm.ee
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        2 days ago

        I can’t tell if you’re joking.

        If you’re not, do you mean like baking chocolate, ultra dark chocolate? Or like dark Ghirardelli chocolate chips

        • frezik@midwest.social
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          2 days ago

          I’ve used dark chocolate chips before, yes. I think they were Ghirardelli.

          And no, not joking. Chocolate without the fat/sugar is bitter, and bitter flavors can add a lot if they’re mixed in correctly.

        • SuperIce@lemmy.world
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          2 days ago

          Most popular chili recipes have cocoa powder as an ingredient now. Adds a nice bit of earthiness to the chili.

        • Wogi@lemmy.world
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          2 days ago

          It takes an excruciatingly small amount of chocolate, if you add too much it just tastes like chocolate. But it is good. Same with a touch of cinnamon. Very small amounts just to add some depth.

      • 1ostA5tro6yne
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        2 days ago

        if you make it often just get some cocoa powder and cocoa butter, it’ll be cheaper in the long run and it won’t have whatever weird shit x company added to make their candy last longer on the shelf or whatever. this goes double for America where most chocolate tastes like vomit, on purpose.

  • AnimalsDream@slrpnk.net
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    2 days ago

    As a vegan it might be strange and interesting to try to replicate the “authentic” Texas Red recipes. No beans, no tomato. The basic recipe would be an almost purely pepper-based stock, probably use both Beyond Ground and diced Beyond Steak. If I recall, the most original known chili recipe called for a substantial amount of added pig fat. I’m not big on high-fat foods in the first place, so to me it’s dubious whether to even include an alternative. But if I did, the most comparable choice would be coconut oil, but I avoid coconut/palm oil to the best of my ability, so probably a bit of added avocado oil would work best, though it’s worth noting that Beyond products are already high in one or the other of these (avocado Beyond is best). Spices don’t need to change.

    But then, is that really superior chili? Sorry but midwestern bean and tomato/pepper extravaganza chili is way better, and will continue to be my main. But with some added crumbled soy curls? Gonna have to try that soon.

      • tiredofsametab@fedia.io
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        2 days ago

        Kroger sells the spice powder and it’s always been fine for me (I spent a number of years working for Skyline in every position except salaried management (though I was trained on and did their jobs as well)). It has you adding tomato paste, water, and ground meat. You could just do something other than the meat at that stage. Anything providing umami and fat would probably work fine.

    • CascadianGiraffe@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      Vegetarian for over 20 years. Most of my chili is “leftovers chili”. It’s about the flavor more than the ingredients. I suppose it’s more of a chili flavored goulash technically.

      Usually starting with black beans, chick peas, tomatoes, peppers and chili spices. Then whatever leftovers I don’t want to eat get chopped up and added. My favorite leftover is old French fries because they never reheat right anyway. Also a great way to use up produce that is going bad but not yet unsafe to eat.

    • Flying Squid@lemmy.worldOPM
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      2 days ago

      I’ve never tried it, but I bet TVP would work pretty well in chili as a substitute for meat, at least texturewise.

      • rumba@lemmy.zip
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        2 days ago

        I make chili for work once a quarter or so. I make two batches, one Vegan, one Fantastic (ok kidding)

        Yes, you can use just about any meat substitute they are all fantastic. Slices of seitan, TVP, Small chunks of drained and pressed low moisture tofu, morning star sausage. The spices destroy any of the finer flavors, so you’re just in it for the texture you really can’t go wrong because the only no-no is gristle.

        Before the meat alternatives got decent in the past few years, I always just made both batches with beans.

      • AnimalsDream@slrpnk.net
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        2 days ago

        That’s where the soy curls come in. TVP would be a nice addition, but I lean more in favor of a whole-foods approach. TVP = chemically stripped soy, mostly protein. Soy curls are the whole beans boiled and reformed into a surprizingly incredible and versatile meat alternative.

    • PotatoesFall@discuss.tchncs.de
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      2 days ago

      coconut oil and palm oil are from different plants. Are you confusing the two or is there a reason to stay away from coconut oil that I haven’t heard yet?

    • Flying Squid@lemmy.worldOPM
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      3 days ago

      I agree, but then they call that slop they put on spaghetti in Cincinnati chili and it doesn’t have any beans, so I don’t know what’s real anymore.

      • Semi-Hemi-Lemmygod@lemmy.world
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        3 days ago

        My headcanon for the invention of Cincinnati chili is that some midwestern person read that chili is “heavily spiced” and used what they had available, including cinnamon and nutmeg.

        • tiredofsametab@fedia.io
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          2 days ago

          Some Greek guy living on Ohio, more accurately (used to work there). EDIT – should’ve scrolled down; someone else beat me to the punch.

        • BakerBagel@midwest.social
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          3 days ago

          Cincinnati chili comes from Greek and immigrants fleeing the Balkan wars of the 1920’s. they got off the boat in New York and saw everyone eating Coney dogs and New York style spaghetti.They then get to Ohio and figure that’s what Americans like to eat, so they made a sauce using Mediterranean ingredients and flavors that they were familiar with. If they had called it anything other than chili, it would be widely regarded as Cincinnati’s greatest contribution to American cuisine.

          • captainlezbian@lemmy.world
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            2 days ago

            I’m an adamant defender of skyline, but I think it’s already considered Cincinnati’s greatest contribution to American cuisine. I can’t think of any others despite being from Dayton myself

              • captainlezbian@lemmy.world
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                1 day ago

                Yeah it’s definitely more. I think my father in law eats it, but my father was strictly scrapple. Funny enough each eats the other’s city’s gross meat.

          • tiredofsametab@fedia.io
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            2 days ago

            When I worked there, I had to refund a few people coming from Missouri and Texas who did not expect what they got (and somehow were not concerned at the smell when they walked in to sit down).

            • BakerBagel@midwest.social
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              2 days ago

              I’m from Missouri originally and my family all like it. I don’t listen to Texans as a general rule, but especially never about chili or barbecue. They are ao stuck in their ways and refuse to entertain any variation of what they are used to

            • BakerBagel@midwest.social
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              2 days ago

              No Cincinnati chili parlors hhave ever officially added chocolate, but it is common with homemade Cincinnati chili.

  • ryathal@sh.itjust.works
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    3 days ago

    Chili is a tomato based curry and pretty much anything is acceptable if balanced properly.

    • cinnamon
    • chocolate
    • coffee
    • oregano
    • cilantro
    • cheddar
    • beer
    • bourbon
    • tiredofsametab@fedia.io
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      2 days ago

      A lot of traditionalists might argue tomatoes shouldn’t be in there, but I fully agree – I’ve always joked that it’s an American curry.

    • nyctre@lemmy.world
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      3 days ago

      According to google (and since the name implies it as well I’m inclined to believe it) it’s actually a chili pepper based stew. With or without meat. Tomatoes and beans are common ingredients, but not part of the base.

      • Maggoty@lemmy.world
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        2 days ago

        Sure, but what does that even mean? Because you start with your onion and garlic and build it from there. So in that sense the onion and garlic are the base.

        • nyctre@lemmy.world
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          1 day ago

          You’re confusing the ingredient list with the cooking order. Chili is a chili based recipe because that’s the main ingredient, the ingredient that needs to be there, on top of which you can add other stuff.

          Those are just used as aromatics, they’re not a main ingredient . You can replace them with other stuff or just omit them altogether and you’d still get a Chili. But if you replace the chili, then you just get a stew, can’t really call it chili anymore.

          Take beef bourguignon, for example. It’s a stew as well but its main ingredients, or base, if you will, are the beef and the red wine. Can’t replace those and still call it that

    • iheartneopets@lemm.ee
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      3 days ago

      I know the Japanese will dead ass put apple and raisins in some variations of their curry. Apple is pretty good, adds a sweetness that isn’t overbearing. Raisins, though I will never understand.

      • ThoGot@lemm.ee
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        3 days ago

        Never tried raisins, but I imagine it could be pretty tasty if well done.

        There are a lot of dishes where you put dried fruit in otherwise savoury meals (I think especially middle eastern or like slavic Plov)

        • iheartneopets@lemm.ee
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          2 days ago

          Yeah, I’m sure its mostly fine, is just personal preference for me. I don’t like raisins at all. But I bet dried mango or something would be good

        • iheartneopets@lemm.ee
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          2 days ago

          Yeah, for sure. Like I said, I like apples in it pretty well, and I’m sure raisins at mostly fine. I just don’t like raisins in any context lol.

          • BigDanishGuy@sh.itjust.works
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            2 days ago

            What kinda bullshit is that? I’ve lived in the country my entire life, and I’ve never heard of that. Are you sure that you’re not thinking about that Norwegian brunost?

            I’ve just googled various kombinations of cheese with added sugar in Danish and I can’t find any references to this.

    • tiredofsametab@fedia.io
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      2 days ago

      I accidentally added a bunch once having thought I was grabbing my oregano spice bottle (they’re identical in shape, size, and color). I refused to throw it out and expected to hate it but, even though it was a lot to my eyes, it was good and wife agreed. That said, we both also like Cincy-style chili.

  • Rai@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    3 days ago

    I, as a chili bean lover who made their chili based on beans, understand this completely.

    Chili should (if not vegan chili) be based around the meat. The meat and flavors should be #1 and the accoutrements should be secondary.

    If vegan chili (which my mum makes and it’s SO DELICIOUS), this rule can be ignored.

    • Rampsquatch@sh.itjust.works
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      3 days ago

      Counterpoint: I’ll put whatever I want in my spicy slop and the internet can be mad all it wants, beans are going in there.

      • Rai@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        3 days ago

        That is hella based

        But I’ve tried with a lot of different things and it always comes out best if I do the meat as a base (if I’m not making vegan chili)

    • tiredofsametab@fedia.io
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      2 days ago

      The meat and flavors should be #1

      I would argue the chiles should be #1, though the protein/umami source at #2 works fine.

      • Rai@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        2 days ago

        I actually could not agree more. The chili flavours are insanely incredible.

        We recently started using dried chilis in a blender after steeping them and it’s so much better than premixed stuff.

    • phdepressed@sh.itjust.works
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      3 days ago

      Chili just needs to be hearty and filling. Meat and beans are great for this purpose. Having an appropriate ratio is important and the types of beans is also important (doubly so in vegetarian chili). Meat should be on top but shouldn’t overpower everything else.

      • Rai@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        3 days ago

        Full agree. If it’s meat chili, the easiest way to do that is to use the meat base.

        But you’re 100% correct, you can absolutely do it different ways, especially if you’re making non-meat chili.

  • bizarroland@fedia.io
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    3 days ago

    Cumin can add a cinnamonesque flavor to chilis, I wonder if that is where the idea of putting cinnamon in chili comes from.

    • workerONE@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      I love cumin. But really, it has a nutty earthy flavor… One of my favorites along with onion powder.