Chili Con Carne

I am still using up portions of the meat we smoked from our Carnivores’ Gathering A Carnivores’ Gathering, and as usual, I am trying to use it in as many different ways as I can. This time, I made chili con carne, and believe me, it was full of carne or meat. I used some of the smoked brisket and the rest of the smoked bacon wrapped pork loin as well to make this very hearty, meaty, delicious stew.

Chili is a thick soup or stew containing chili peppers (sometimes in the form of chili powder),meat (usually beef), tomatoes and kidney beans. Other seasonings may include garlic, onions and cumin. The dish originated in Northern Mexico and Southern Texas. There is NO ONE way to make chili. In fact, the possibilities are endless. Carne is meat. Since beef was the main meat consumed by the Spanish colonizers at the time when they were in Mexico and South America, beef is the primary meat used for chili con carne. Chili largely originated with working-class Tejana and Mexican women and soon spread to the masses and became a staple all over Texas and Northern Mexico.

Because there are so many different varieties of chili, and I make it different all the time too, I am not going to give you an actual recipe. But I used all the traditional ingredients – beef, pork, garlic, onions, tomatoes, green bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, cumin, chili powder, kidney beans, oregano and thyme. As always, it came out very filling and very tasty. It was a meal all by itself.

I diced everything up and placed it all in the slow cooker, then walked away and forgot about it until it was time to eat. I like to add the meat first, then the vegetables and I mix all the wet ingredients together and then pour them over the top and mix it all together. Everyone has their own ways and they all work just fine too.

We love chili at our house. As I have said many times, my mother was from Port Arthur, Texas, which is definitely chili country, so every time I make chili con carne, I am honoring my mother and my Southern Texas roots.

Stay safe and stay well Everyone. ‘Til next time.