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Featured Replies

I don't mind masa.  I eat my red with tortilla chips all the time, those flavors work together.  I've had chili with all-purpose flour and that's not easy to mask.

That said, I have STARTED chili with a roux and that was total Derka slam and go hard material.

Edited by jimmyjazz

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  • Not bad for my first time. 2nd place out of 69 entries at the Texana Chili Spill. 

  • jimmyjazz
    jimmyjazz

    Probably my best ever:  an attempt to get close to the original San Antonio Chili Queens recipe.  I used less onion and more chile peppers & cumin, but the result was stellar.  I'd say the heat wa

  • elfenix
    elfenix

    3.5 lbs chili grind, 3 or 4 lbs cubed smoked brisket, a bunch of peppers made into paste, powders bloomed in beef fat, bunch of onions + ones floating around the fridge, some serranos and jalapenos fl

Posted Images

5 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

I like both styles, but I confess to being raised on my mother's cooking.  And she grew up fucking poor, so masa-thickened chili was very much a thing.  And I kinda dig it.  But I also like it thickened with a great puree.  There's room for all of it.

As for me, most of the time, I make it with powders, and maybe spice it up with some puree (adds some richness and depth).  But it's chili, it's not a fancy rich-man's food.  You don't have to overwork it.

Yeah, I’m the opposite, chili without masa just doesn’t feel completely done to me. A little bit of earthiness, which is why it’s so fucking good with Fritos or tortillas or cornbread. 

Edited by 956 Worldwide

27 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

But it's chili, it's not a fancy rich-man's food. 

Pardon me sir, but have you seen the price of beef lately?  Fn $7.59 lb for a chuck roast at HEB. That use to be choice new york strip prices not too long ago. 

 

May be the first year that I actually try to fill out all my deer tags. 

1 hour ago, Anastasis said:

I like the way this one turned out. Great flavor, subbed the pasilla for the guajillo, but absolutely zero heat. Maybe just a little late tingle on the tongue, but I got to squint for it. Which is fine for this crowd, will have some different heat chili sauces to kick things up if requested.

Pretty similar to my findings. Great flavor but needed a lot of extra jalapeno.

what was your meat?

Edited by hobbes2702

4 minutes ago, hobbes2702 said:

what was your meat?

~2.5lb chuck roast, cubed to a range of sizes, and threw is some pork cubes as well. 

21 minutes ago, Anastasis said:

~2.5lb chuck roast, cubed to a range of sizes, and threw is some pork cubes as well. 

Question for the group, what would you add to that mix for heat without dramatically changing the flavor profile 

Cayenne?  I can't really taste it, but it doesn't take much to crank the heat.  Habanero has a ton more heat but there is a fruitiness (delicious) that you may not want.  I don't mess with ghost, scorpion, reaper etc.

4 hours ago, 956 Worldwide said:

Yeah, I’m the opposite, chili without masa just doesn’t feel completely done to me. A little bit of earthiness, which is why it’s so fucking good with Fritos or tortillas or cornbread. 

Can't stand the flavor of corn in the actual chili.  Don't like it in beer, either.

With cornbread or fritos is completely different, it's not integrated.

Edited by utee94

1 hour ago, jimmyjazz said:

Cayenne?  I can't really taste it, but it doesn't take much to crank the heat.  Habanero has a ton more heat but there is a fruitiness (delicious) that you may not want.  I don't mess with ghost, scorpion, reaper etc.

Arbol is an OG hot pepper, no need to seed them. That’s what South Texas cooks would use. A few fresh chile pequins will turn it up, too. 
 

Anything above habanero is a novelty pepper, IMO. 

2 hours ago, hobbes2702 said:

Question for the group, what would you add to that mix for heat without dramatically changing the flavor profile 

I don't know what the exact mix is. Does it have arbol in it already? 

I'd be careful with habañero but I've done it before. Serranos have nice heat.

I don't think any of those would change the flavor profile in a negative way. 

I'm always surprised at the way different people perceive jalapeno vs serrano.  Yes, serrano is hotter, but to me it is cleaner and less grassy.  I've read many statements that say the exact opposite (not the heat, the flavor).

That said, if I'm making migas, I'm going serrano.

Oh yeah, chili.  Float some jalapenos and serranos?  But you'll taste them for sure.  Maybe the arbol suggestion above is a good thing to try.

6 minutes ago, ztejas said:

I don't know what the exact mix is. Does it have arbol in it already? 

I'd be careful with habañero but I've done it before. Serranos have nice heat.

I don't think any of those would change the flavor profile in a negative way. 

Didn’t let the serranos pop which probably would have been the answer.

 

IMG_7791.thumb.jpeg.7e16b876fea460c56936811f34aa9668.jpeg

2 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

I'm always surprised at the way different people perceive jalapeno vs serrano.  Yes, serrano is hotter, but to me it is cleaner and less grassy.  I've read many statements that say the exact opposite (not the heat, the flavor).

That said, if I'm making migas, I'm going serrano.

Oh yeah, chili.  Float some jalapenos and serranos?  But you'll taste them for sure.  Maybe the arbol suggestion above is a good thing to try.

I tend to lean on serranos over jalepenos simply because the heat is more consistent than jalepenos at the grocery store. I save the jalepenos for stuffing or just grilling and serving on the side. 

I bought some of the HEB bacon-wrapped jalapeno poppers stuffed with cream cheese.  Honestly, they rocked, and while "pricey" were totally worth it because all I had to do was put them in the oven.

7 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

I bought some of the HEB bacon-wrapped jalapeno poppers stuffed with cream cheese.  Honestly, they rocked, and while "pricey" were totally worth it because all I had to do was put them in the oven.

They fucking smack. We get them regularly 

I like to take them and drizzle a little hot honey over the top and sprinkle some garlic and herb seasoning on. 

I want to say they had boudin stuffed ones on time, but I may have picked those up somewhere else. 

Edited by Anastasis

Just now, ztejas said:

I like to take them and drizzle a little hot honey over the top and sprinkle some garlic and herb seasoning on. 

silicon valley this guy fucks GIF by Team Coco

17 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

I bought some of the HEB bacon-wrapped jalapeno poppers stuffed with cream cheese.  Honestly, they rocked, and while "pricey" were totally worth it because all I had to do was put them in the oven.

They have coupons/deals on that stuff a lot. There's a version of the wrapped jalapeños that come as an app in the meal simple section as well as the ones in the styrofoam in the meat section. 

Edited by ztejas

1 minute ago, Anastasis said:

Google says it wasn't a hallucination. 

image.png.3a08ec64ad0d76a72d94fe81eaf4d49a.png

Yeah I haven't had those. The shrimp ones are good though

1 hour ago, utee94 said:

Can't stand the flavor of corn in the actual chili.  Don't like it in beer, either.

With cornbread or fritos is completely different, it's not integrated.

I have never once put masa in chili and when I started seeing in in recipes:

Disgusted Season 11 GIF by Curb Your Enthusiasm

 

If I want body it's oxtails or shanks (and holy fuck are those pricey at heb)

Edited by elfenix

13 hours ago, jimmyjazz said:

Cayenne?  I can't really taste it, but it doesn't take much to crank the heat.  Habanero has a ton more heat but there is a fruitiness (delicious) that you may not want.  I don't mess with ghost, scorpion, reaper etc.

It's hardly traditional, but I got gifted one of those super hot sauces that's like, turbo hot straight to pain a few years back for Christmas. Whenever my chili doesn't come out quite as hot as I'd like, I add a few drops of this stuff and let it simmer another 15 minutes, then taste test. It's a quick, easy cheat to get the heat the way I want in the chili. It doesn't take much to make a big difference.

The first time I tried this I just put in like 2 tablespoons of the stuff in what was probably a couple of gallons of chili, easily. I won't go so far to say it was "inedible" but eating all of that over the course of a week definitely was work more than pleasure. 

A contrast, to make y'all feel better about how good we have it, my daughter sent this pic of a menu item at one of her local joints in Germany:

89d4bd49a05c601320bc827fdd8ce804.jpg

 
Her comment was "Get my state's name outta your damn mouth, Germany."

2 hours ago, Brisketexan said:

A contrast, to make y'all feel better about how good we have it, my daughter sent this pic of a menu item at one of her local joints in Germany:

89d4bd49a05c601320bc827fdd8ce804.jpg

 
Her comment was "Get my state's name outta your damn mouth, Germany."

 

I hope they at least use the traditional recipe from the San Antonio Kidney Bean and Soy Stew Queens.

Wo kann man in Germany sehr gut essen?  Nicht heir.

 

Edited by Jerry Callo

58 minutes ago, Jerry Callo said:

Wo kann man in Germany sehr gut essen?  Nicht heir.

Yeah, it was the school cafeteria.  So, definitely can't get gut essen there.

On 11/5/2025 at 10:14 AM, Brisketexan said:

A contrast, to make y'all feel better about how good we have it, my daughter sent this pic of a menu item at one of her local joints in Germany:

89d4bd49a05c601320bc827fdd8ce804.jpg

 
Her comment was "Get my state's name outta your damn mouth, Germany."

Another sign of the apocalypse.  The global acceptance of Satan’s bean in the end times  is mentioned several times in the Bible. Who would willingly eat a fucking kidney bean?

Just now, Texzilla58 said:

Another sign of the apocalypse.  The global acceptance of Satan’s bean in the end times  is mentioned several times in the Bible. Who would willingly eat a fucking kidney bean?

Ummm....my red beans and rice-eating coonass half frowns on your shenanigans.

2 hours ago, Texzilla58 said:

Another sign of the apocalypse.  The global acceptance of Satan’s bean in the end times  is mentioned several times in the Bible. Who would willingly eat a fucking kidney bean?

Soy stew is far more offensive to me than anything a kidney bean ever did. 

  • 1 month later...

Just started a pot of what i refer to as jimmy jazz red.  20251212_150143.thumb.jpg.d56ff2b6e801373e68c0e53c33c7d103.jpg

26 minutes ago, pops said:

Just started a pot of what i refer to as jimmy jazz red.  20251212_150143.thumb.jpg.d56ff2b6e801373e68c0e53c33c7d103.jpg

I'm overdue on making some of that.

I plan on making it inedible for everyone but myself. 

Made a pot of red yesterday.  Taste was great, texture and consistency was spot on, but really not much heat.  Basic recipe with pepper profile:

5.5 lbs chuck roast

18 guajillo, 6 ancho, 4 chipotle, 4 Thai (just because they were sitting around) 

Spice blend of cumin, paprika, salt, Mexican oregano (heavy on the cumin)  

8 cups of water for the slurry

I hate just dumping heaps of cayenne for heat.  I've had that get away from me before.  I'm sure I could add several more Thai chiles.

Questions: (1) are there any dried peppers that will increase the heat without significantly affecting the flavor?  (2)  How about just providing cayenne to anyone who wants to increase the heat?

 

Made a pot of red yesterday.  Taste was great, texture and consistency was spot on, but really not much heat.  Basic recipe with pepper profile:
5.5 lbs chuck roast
18 guajillo, 6 ancho, 4 chipotle, 4 Thai (just because they were sitting around) 
Spice blend of cumin, paprika, salt, Mexican oregano (heavy on the cumin)  
8 cups of water for the slurry
I hate just dumping heaps of cayenne for heat.  I've had that get away from me before.  I'm sure I could add several more Thai chiles.
Questions: (1) are there any dried peppers that will increase the heat without significantly affecting the flavor?  (2)  How about just providing cayenne to anyone who wants to increase the heat?
 

I find Arbol chilis primarily add heat vs flavor.

My partner used white pepper for heat before she met me. (Native New Englander) I use cayenne on the side for a lot of things.
1 hour ago, Jerry Callo said:

Made a pot of red yesterday.  Taste was great, texture and consistency was spot on, but really not much heat.

The pics look great!

2 hours ago, Jerry Callo said:

Made a pot of red yesterday.  Taste was great, texture and consistency was spot on, but really not much heat.  Basic recipe with pepper profile:

5.5 lbs chuck roast

18 guajillo, 6 ancho, 4 chipotle, 4 Thai (just because they were sitting around)

I'm not all that surprised it wasn't very spicy, although I don't know much about Thai peppers (I assume they're similar to arbol?).  For me, cayenne is a pretty innocuous way to dial up heat at the end of a cook if need be.  It rarely takes much.

17 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

I'm not all that surprised it wasn't very spicy, although I don't know much about Thai peppers (I assume they're similar to arbol?).  For me, cayenne is a pretty innocuous way to dial up heat at the end of a cook if need be.  It rarely takes much.

Yeah.  The Thai chiles are hotter than arbol chiles according to the google, I just didn't use that many.

I had it for lunch today and there is some heat, but not too hot.  I actually really like the flavors and don't want to make it so hot that it takes away from the wonderful flavors of the peppers.  I think I'll probably add a few more Thai chiles next time and then give cayenne and hot sauce to anyone that wants it hotter.

I do appreciate you posting the San Antonio Chili Queens recipe, or your version of it, so many years ago.  Rehydrated and pureed chiles is my go to now.  Even when I make chili with ground meat, I prefer this method.

1 hour ago, South Austin said:

The pics look great!

Sorry.  Here you go.

20250105_210712.jpg

20250107_182909.jpg

On 12/15/2025 at 11:01 AM, Jerry Callo said:

Made a pot of red yesterday.  Taste was great, texture and consistency was spot on, but really not much heat.  Basic recipe with pepper profile:

5.5 lbs chuck roast

18 guajillo, 6 ancho, 4 chipotle, 4 Thai (just because they were sitting around) 

Spice blend of cumin, paprika, salt, Mexican oregano (heavy on the cumin)  

8 cups of water for the slurry

I hate just dumping heaps of cayenne for heat.  I've had that get away from me before.  I'm sure I could add several more Thai chiles.

Questions: (1) are there any dried peppers that will increase the heat without significantly affecting the flavor?  (2)  How about just providing cayenne to anyone who wants to increase the heat?

 

Good call on not just dumping a bunch of Cayenne in the pot.  Cayenne gets bitter the more you boil it, so you're gradually ruining your dish.

I stick to Guajillos and Anchos in my recipe.  If I wish to add the heat, that's what floaters are for.  Maybe the odd Jalapeno, but I prefer to float some Serranos if I wish to up the heat without changing the flavor.  

Just sayin.....

On 12/15/2025 at 2:09 PM, Jerry Callo said:

Sorry.  Here you go.

20250105_210712.jpg

20250107_182909.jpg

That's purty. 

I have a lot of dried peppers from the garden this year and plan on making some powder. A few questions for yall since google has failed me and also makes me ragey with the complete idiocy posted all over the internet about chili. 

I have dried chipotles, anchos, and cayennes. Should I just say fuck it and blend them all together or keep them separate? 

If I separate them, which order should I dump them in? I learned from you guys to add cumin late in the cook and that has made a positive difference. 

On 11/7/2025 at 12:16 PM, Brisketexan said:

Ummm....my red beans and rice-eating coonass half frowns on your shenanigans.

Wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait ... do you think that red beans are kidney beans?

2 minutes ago, elfenix said:

Wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait ... do you think that red beans are kidney beans?

Yes.  I do.

wbrFDtXJ-125172773_10157428429496231_861

 

6 minutes ago, elfenix said:

Wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait ... do you think that red beans are kidney beans?

 

4 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

Yes.  I do.

wbrFDtXJ-125172773_10157428429496231_861

 

Jon Stewart Popcorn GIF

13 minutes ago, elfenix said:

Bruh

 

CamelliasmallRedBeans1lb__35365.png.6e0b3df832336416f7ccfabda693b8b7.png

Yeah, bruh.  Go to the actual Camellia website.  Pull up the recipe for RBAR on their site: https://www.camelliabrand.com/recipes/camellias-famous-new-orleans-style-red-beans/

It has a hyperlink to the Camellia product to select.  That link takes you to....exactly what I grew up on, and my NOLA mother grew up on: https://shop.camelliabrand.com/products/red-kidney-beans?_gl=1*12ldr37*_ga*NjU3OTA2MzQyLjE3NjY0MzQ5OTE.*_ga_GXGBQM0YK4*czE3NjY0MzQ5OTAkbzEkZzEkdDE3NjY0MzUwMDAkajUwJGwwJGgw

1lb_508_red-kidneys-gmo_1024x1024@2x.png

I gotta tell ya, I've eaten RBAR in a lotta places, and that's what I've had.  Shit, the picture I sent you was the pic of someone starting to make a pot of RBAR.

On 12/17/2025 at 8:50 AM, NorthLoop said:

I have a lot of dried peppers from the garden this year and plan on making some powder. A few questions for yall since google has failed me and also makes me ragey with the complete idiocy posted all over the internet about chili. 

I have dried chipotles, anchos, and cayennes. Should I just say fuck it and blend them all together or keep them separate? 

If I separate them, which order should I dump them in? I learned from you guys to add cumin late in the cook and that has made a positive difference. 

I'd keep them separate just because of the radically different heat levels.  Step your way into the amount of chipotle and (especially) cayenne and take notes on the final blend.  After that, I see no reason not to make your own personal pepper blend, but those heat levels can vary from plant to plant and even pepper to pepper.

I have never seen any rationale for staging the addition of peppers throughout the cook (like cumin as you alluded).

On 11/3/2025 at 8:57 PM, jimmyjazz said:

I'm always surprised at the way different people perceive jalapeno vs serrano.  Yes, serrano is hotter, but to me it is cleaner and less grassy.  I've read many statements that say the exact opposite (not the heat, the flavor).

That said, if I'm making migas, I'm going serrano.

Oh yeah, chili.  Float some jalapenos and serranos?  But you'll taste them for sure.  Maybe the arbol suggestion above is a good thing to try.

 

float. blend with some chili broth. add back in to hot desired 'hot' level 

excellent cheat method to nail taste 

9 minutes ago, tx 3 putt said:

 

float. blend with some chili broth. add back in to hot desired 'hot' level 

excellent cheat method to nail taste 

That's really fucking clever.

4 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

That's really fucking clever.

Swedish Chef Cooking GIF

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