#Chile Colorado

[rabbitcruiser]

National Chili Day

A hearty meal full of beans and savory meat, topped off with sour cream, cheese, and diced onions — warm, spicy comfort.

Some like it hot, some like it mild, some like it on top of a baked potato and some prefer it with or without beans – but however it is most appreciated, National Chili Day is the perfect excuse for millions of spicy food fans all around the world to chow down on a bowl of this delicious fiery favorite.

History of National Chili Day

Though many people believe chili originated purely in Mexico, modern thinking suggests that it was probably truly created in Texas and is a blend of Native American, Spanish, and Mexican cuisines. This claim is supported by the fact that the first-ever written reference to chili occurred in the city of San Antonio, Texas in 1828. This is just one of the many delicious varieties of food that fall into the category of Tex-Mex.

However, one legend dates chili back a little further, stating that some immigrants who came from the Canary Islands brought the recipe with them to San Antonio when they settled there in the 1700s. This was before the name “chili” came to be and it was simply referred to as “Spanish stew”.

Eventually, by the 1880s, a popular way to eat the dish in San Antonio was by picking up a “bowl o’ red” at a chili stand in an open-air stall, usually run by a “chili queen”. The popularity of chili began to spread throughout the US, and it was given a huge boost when it was featured at the 1893 World’s Fair which took place in Chicago, Illinois.

The dish that is now known as simply “chili” has, in the past, often been referred to as “chili con carne”, which just means chili with meat. Of course, today, many people make it without meat, and it can easily even be made into a vegan dish with no animal products of any kind.

Some people do tend to spell it differently, depending on where they are from. Most Americans will include only one “l” in the word, while some British folks and people from other parts of the world may add an additional letter to spell it “chilli”. But no matter how it is spelled, this is certainly a tasty dish that is worthy of celebration!

National Chili Day Timeline

1828

First written description of Chili

J. C. Clopper writes, after visiting San Antonio, Texas, about “a kind of hash with nearly as many peppers as there are pieces of meat – this is all stewed together.”

1880s

Chili stands become popular in San Antonio

Women who are called “Chili Queens” set up trailers or carts to serve spicy bowls of beans and meat (chili con carne) to workers and passersby on the street, where small tables, seats and lanterns were set up. These last until the 1930s when the health department shuts them down.

1896

Chili powder is invented in Texas

German immigrant William Gebhardt creates a way to pulverize dried chiles using a meat grinder, which eventually becomes the product known as Gebhardt’s Eagle Chili Powder. It’s a critical ingredient in Chili.

1960s

An American president loves chili

Lydon Johnson, president of the United States from 1963-1969, declares that Texas Chili is the best: “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.”

1977

Chili becomes the state dish of Texas

As the continuation of its association with Texas, the state’s legislature names Chili the state dish.

How to Celebrate National Chili Day

Though not an official public holiday, National Chili Day is widely celebrated with many restaurants offering free samples of their own unique recipes. Others mark the day with a huge chili party for family and friends – or simply make sure they have a big bowl of chili for lunch!

Try out these fun ideas for celebrating the day:

Make a Big Pot of Chili

Even people who don’t really do much cooking can make a pot of chili to enjoy with a whole group of friends. It really is one of those meals that allows pretty much everything to be thrown into a pot and simmered while the flavors meld together.

A classic chilli recipe usually consists of a protein (often meat as well as beans), some sauce (usually tomato sauce), some veggies (corn, onion and diced tomatoes are typical) and spices for flavor (chili powder, garlic, cayenne pepper, onion powder and paprika). Toss in some jalapenos or other chili peppers for a little bit of kick. Let the whole thing simmer for a while and enjoy!

Learn Some Fun Facts About Chili

Celebrate the day and impress friends by spouting off interesting tidbits about this delicious dish. Get started with these, and then do a bit of internet research to add in a few more, just for fun:

Lyndon B. Johnson, United States President from 1963-1969, was a huge lover of chili and named his favorite recipe after his ranch in Texas, Pedernales River Chili. Americans were so fond of it that his wife, Lady Bird Johnson, had the recipe printed up on cards and mailed out from the White House.

In 1977, lobbyists worked to convince the state legislature to call chilli the official state food of Texas.

In the late 1890s, it was possible to buy a bowl of chili off of the back of a wagon for a mere 5 cents. This even came with an unlimited number of crackers to go along with it–and usually a glass of water too.

The first chili cook-off is recorded to have taken place in 1952 at the State Fair of Texas located in Dallas. But another story says that the first one took place in 1967 in Terlingua, Texas, where no winner was declared–as it was a tie between a native Texan and a person from New York!

Enjoy a Chili Contest

Chili is a food that people love to gather around–and it’s great for competing too! Whether participating in a chili cookoff that pits top chefs against each other, or a chili-eating contest where the winner consumes the most chili in a short amount of time, this is a dish that can be filled with fun.

Today’s chili cook offs can get pretty serious, where contestants often use ingredients that will help them to create the most intense flavor possible. They also try to be unique, using interesting meats such as sausage, turkey or even venison, as well accessing a variety of chili peppers to create just the right amount of heat.

Get into the competitive spirit by participating, or just enjoy watching and rooting for a favorite person to win. Can’t find a chili contest in the local area? Don’t let that get in the way–go ahead and start one in honor of National Chili Day!

Get Creative with Chili Recipes

Getting involved in this day can be a delightful culinary experience! Take things far beyond the ordinary by including unique and interesting ingredients into that pot of chili. While the classic recipes are certainly amazing, these types of ideas get things moving to a whole other level:

Chorizo Sweet Potato Chili. Give that pot of chili a delightful twist using a paleo friendly recipe that is a quick fix (can be on the table in around 30 minutes!). Chopped vegetables and some spicy chorizo sausage are flavors that meld together deliciously.

Short Rib Black Bean Chili. Beginning with short ribs as the protein base, this chili is slow cooked with the bones to add tons of flavor and depth. Mildly spicy, the black beans round out the taste into something delightfully delicious.

Spicy Chocolate Chili (Vegan). Sweet potatoes, maple syrup and cocoa powder work together in this recipe in a surprising way. Filled with beans and veggies, then topped with cilantro, lime and pumpkin seeds, this unique recipe will keep the whole family coming back for more!

Kale and Barley Chili. Keep things super healthy with this chili that is filled with healthy greens. Add some white beans in for extra protein and bulk!

National Chili Day FAQs

When is National Chili Day?

National Chili Day is observed on the fourth Thursday of February, which is the perfect time of year to enjoy a spicy bowl of deliciousness.

Where was Chili invented?

Most likely, the origins of the dish known today as chili came from the southwestern parts of the United States, particularly Texas. Some stories say that the idea was brought from the Canary Islands in the 1700s.

Is Chili a soup?

Because it doesn’t usually use stock or broth, Chili isn’t necessarily considered to be a soup. Actually, it would be considered to be more of a stew because it is thicker, with a more solid base.

Is Chili healthy?

Depending on how it is made, Chili can be a rather healthy meal. It contains nutrients such as protein, fiber, iron, Vitamin C and more. Of course, it’s healthier if it is made with lean meat and less fat.

How to make Chili?

Most Chili recipes will include the basic ingredients of ground beef, beans, onions, tomato sauce, spices and tomatoes. The ingredients are cooked together for some time to allow the flavors to meld together.

Source

[sandwichtribunal]

Put Your Hands Together For... Empalmes

"Empalme, at its most basic, consists of this: tortillas of nixtamalized corn, dipped in lard, sandwiched together and cooked on a grill, or in a griddle." Put Your Hands Together For... Empalmes

The cuisine of the Mexican state of Nuevo Leon is… generally fairly meat-forward. Cabrito, or young goat, is a staple, a holdover from the Spanish Jews who founded Nuevo Leon’s capital city, Monterrey. Goat is used in numerous ways there, whether cooked on a stick over an open fire (cabrito al pastor) or in a tomato-based stew (cabrito en salsa), its organ meats cooked in its own blood (fritada…

[intuitive-spontaneity]

BURRITO DE CHILE COLORADO (WET WITH CHEESE)

Chunks of beef cooked slow in our special red Chile sauce served with rice and beans

[lizardtracks]

Zooey!

Since I am totally, one hundred percent, completely normal, I can only assume that all of you have dreams where Zooey Deschanel is sitting cross-legged on your kitchen counter watching you make chile colorado.

[rafaelmartinez67]

Cosas que importan....

[weedlovingweed]

game changer... i made breakfast burritos to freeze yesterday and am having one right now.... it is DELICIOUS...

i was worried about the reheating sitch (partly because theyre kind of massive lmao) but 30 mins in oven... and it is soooooo good....

they are scrampled egg, black beans, spiced homefries, cheese, & a cashew queso... + these huge chipotle sized burrito tortillas.... i only made 3 but i will be making a like. week long supply next time.

[beansidhe]

We are sick so I made green chile the way I always do. I start cooking and let the ether tell me what to put in and today it said put a whole head of garlic in there.

And then it said you bought some ground chicken sausage you didn't know what to do with it. Throw it in there. The fennel seed will be good.

So I did and made the slurry

Then added the chiles and the tomatoes

And some caldo de tomate and caldo de pollo because I didn't have broth and it is delicious.

Soup season is beginning.

[heiserosandhesapollo]

"I need to go up there next chile roasting season" (2022)

transcription under cut

Pueblo's chiles are called Mirasols

because they grow towards the sun.

They're thicker than Hatch --

sweeter,

hotter.

My grandparents grew up in the dirt --

the dust --

the dry storms that choked the life out of

cattle.

Neither had a proper education;

my grandfather worked odd jobs,

his favorite being a snow plow driver.

But still they saved money,

passed it down,

so I could buy a house at 23.

They make 'em rough in Southern Colorado;

callous --

calloused. 

But they still look up

to the sun.

[emperor-olsen]

Some pics of the food I have made over the last few months. Cooking is a very relaxing activity for me.

[rabbitcruiser]

Ely, NV (No. 1)

Ely is the largest city and county seat of White Pine County, Nevada, United States. Ely was founded as a stagecoach station along the Pony Express and Central Overland Route. In 1906 copper was discovered. Ely's mining boom came later than the other towns along US 50. The railroads connecting the transcontinental railroad to the mines in Austin, Nevada and Eureka, Nevada have long been removed, but the railroad to Ely is preserved as a heritage railway by the Nevada Northern Railway and known as the Ghost Train of Old Ely. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,924.

In 1878, Vermont resident J. W. Long came to White Pine County and soon set up a camp known as "Ely", after discovering gold. The name "Ely" has been credited to several possible origins: Long's hometown of Ely, Vermont; a New York Congressman with the surname Ely, who sent Long as a representative according to local historians; Smith Ely, a Vermont native who financed one of the city's early mineral operations; and John Ely, an Illinois native who came to Nevada for mining.

Ely was founded as a stagecoach station along the Pony Express and Central Overland Route. Ely's mining boom came later than the other towns along US 50, with the discovery of copper in 1906. This made Ely a mining town, suffering through the boom-and-bust cycles so common in the West. Originally, Ely was home to a number of copper mining companies, Kennecott Utah Copper being the most famous. With a crash in the copper market in the mid-1970s, Kennecott shut down and copper mining disappeared (temporarily).

Source: Wikipedia    

[georgeceline]

Soup Recipe This traditional stew contains roasted green chiles and tender chunks of pork.