I have been researching chili recipes, cook off traditions and scoring etiquette in preparation for next Sundays bash at the T/J's.
The debate in our house over beans or no beans has been raging for years (unrelated to the chili cook off next week I might add). Never having lived or even been in Texas, my authentic Mexican chili (according to the German recipe book I gleaned it from) includes beans. Action Jackson, born and bred north of the 49th, claims to know the secret of a real Texan chili...and insists there are no beans in a Texan chili. Action Jackson must know - he did live a while in Texas! Heck, I thought chili was Mexican.
Well, the Texan's do take there chili seriously. And not having beans in it is a matter of pride. As Lyndon B. Johnson, 36th President of the United States said: "Chili concocted outside of Texas is usually a weak, apologetic imitation of the real thing. One of the first things I do when I get home to Texas is to have a bowl of red. There is simply nothing better."
Hm, we shall see! I did discover that even though Texan's lay claim to the original chili, the tradition seems influenced by immigrants from Spain and Macedonia, among others. The Mexican's meanwhile have this to say (in the Diccionario de Mejicanismos, published in 1959): “detestable food passing itself off as Mexican, sold in the U.S. from Texas to New York”
I am certainly looking forward to dinner on Sunday!