Chili- beans or NO beans?

[Timothy F. Lewis]

Just started a batch of brisket chili, I was thinking dark red kidney beans but, then I thought about it. Do I want beans or not, what say you folks?

 

[Erik Tracy]

You may be starting a war on the internet with that question.

I put kidney and pinto beans in my chili.

 

[timothy]

Last batch I did beans for a copycat Wendy's.
Before that no beans for a Texas bowl of red.
I say flip a coin.

 

[JKalchik]

Nein. Nicht. Nada. No beans. I agree with the Terlingua Chili rules.

My g/f is a fan of Midwestern chili, with beans. I will occasionally indulge her.

https://chixjeff.dnsalias.net/texas_chili.html

 

[Bob Bailey]

Either way is fine with me. If I'm using beef chunks and dried chiles, it's no beans. For ground beef and packaged spices it's beans, either kidneys or mayacobas.

 

[JimK]

I like beans in chili, but am fine without. With, you get extra protein and fiber though and I like that. I made a batch today with no beans and it was very good. But If I had some on hand, I probably would've thrown them in.

 

[John K BBQ]

I

Either way is fine with me. If I'm using beef chunks and dried chiles, it's no beans. For ground beef and packaged spices it's beans, either kidneys or mayacobas.

Ditto - if using beef chunks, no beans. W/ground beef, definitely beans.
Texas red is probably my favorite chili but i still love the midwestern ground beef & bean type.
Would probably make texas red a bit more often but getting whole dried chilis in my town isn't that easy.

 

[Steve Hoch]

Always beans.

 

[Mark Foreman]

I prefer Texas Red myself which is no beans or tomatoes but like the Chili Queens of Texas, I put a scoop of pinto beans in the bottom of the bowl with the chili on top.

 

[J Hasselberger]

Are you using smoked brisket? If so, no beans.

 

[Rick P]

No beans

 

[timothy]

And then you have " To Tomato Or Not To Tomato"

 

[Timothy F. Lewis]

SWMBO made the call,
“Light red kidney beans, please”
So, that’s how this batch went and it’s damned tasty!

 

[Bob Bailey]

If it's got beans, it gets tomato. I'll use a can of Rotel if there's any in the pantry, otherwise sauce and/or paste.

 

[LMichaels]

Have never tasted (true) chili. Oh I've had the stuff my mom used to toss together (more like sloppy joes with beans and some chili powder tossed in. It's all she knew. And it was a cheap way to feed us in the 50s/early 60s.
But I've never tasted actual chili. I'd like to some time, but have no clue where I would even find it to try. I would not want to waste money on ingredients making something I may not like. So I'd have to go out for it. Around here you can't even find a decent corned beef sandwich let alone anything else that is somewhat adventurous

 

[Timothy F. Lewis]

This batch was pretty simple,
~2# leftover brisket point diced
1- large onion
5- cloves garlic, peeled, chopped
3- Tbsp. Tomato paste
2- 28 oz. Tomatoes,
1/2- beer (Yeungling) to rinse cans
Cumin, coriander, chili powder, oregano

Sweat the onion and garlic in the rendered brisket fat.
Add paste and “toast” that, crush the tomatoes, simmer.
Add beans(or not) simmer an hour.
I serve with cheese, sour cream, Tabasco and oyster crackers!

That’s more or less how my dad would have done it if he’d have had brisket!
I grew up with Illinois chili at church “Chili Suppers” in Moline, those were ground beef, sauce, beans often served over rice to stretch it. Dad made three heat levels, mild, hot and, hotter than the hinges of hell! I was seven and eating the supercharged stuff and some of the full grown men in the parish would watch me in shock!

 

[Darryl - swazies]

BEANS!
My chili has went from ground beef and everything else to a con carne style chili with dried chili's as the flavour base.
In the end it comes down to having chunks of meat and the beans as the texture in the bowl.
Black and pinto are my choices.....I feel limited to available choices too....
Our chili up here over the boarder is people putting everything in it, manditory ground beef....corn, chickpeas, celery, mushrooms, green peppers....canned tomato sauce.....you name it and it can go in.
So it is not so traditional in any way.....chili powder then becomes the flavour maker...while there is nothing wrong with it.....my new chili has a lot more delicious flavour.

 

[AndyK]

We use a slightly modified Carrol Shelby chili mix with beans to make our chili.
We like to add almond sized chunks of venison or brisket to our chili but living in a fishy area I might consider putting some salmon into a batch one of these days.

I find that Carrol Shelby mix is a good foundation to start a chili cook and that emptying out the fridge is a good way to finish it.

Bean or no bean wise?
My only experience with a no bean chili was restaurant chili that I didn’t care for it so I’ve never made no bean chili.

 

[timothy]

I like the Shelby's but haven't used in in a while.
I prefer to toast and rehydrate some ancho and guajillo chilis to make a chili sauce.
My lady on the other hand prefers the mild chili mix in a package.

 

[JKalchik]

But I've never tasted actual chili. I'd like to some time, but have no clue where I would even find it to try.

I'll offer up my kitchen, for a bowl of Texas red, make with smoked brisket and homebrew sweet stout.

Carroll Shelby's mix actually is a really good place to start, for an off the shelf experience.