The Texas BBQ Forum

Well, with the cooler temps rolling in, I figure that it's a good excuse to make a batch of chili and to practice for a chili cookoff.

Anyways, appearance wise, how would you honestly score this small bowl of chili on a scale of 1-10? You know... Color, texture, etc.

Would you prefer to see it with more chunks of anything, smoother texture, etc?

And yes, it has beans in it.

I've never cooked comp chili, but that bowl looks good to me... Now from what I've read, the only chunks they want to see in the bowl is the meat itself... No beans or veggies should be visible.

JamesB wrote:I've never cooked comp chili, but that bowl looks good to me... Now from what I've read, the only chunks they want to see in the bowl is the meat itself... No beans or veggies should be visible.

I talked to a couple of cooks at the cookoff a couple of weeks ago. Now keep in mind this is a backyard type cookoff that benefits Camp Craig Allen so the rules arent as tight.

But those folks told me the same thing that you said, but they all referred to Terlingua (sp). They said there you can't even have a seed or anything except for the meat.

At this cookoff the chunks don't matter. In fact one guy had a dove chili with whole mushrooms in it.

Talking to a judge (you saw him in a dress at Bass Pro Shop BBQ Cookoff ), I was told they are looking for:

aroma
color
texture
overall appearance (does it look like chili)
taste

Just curious, but why no chunks other than meat? Is that what "authentic" Texas chili is, as I've never had it?

To me, chili consists of big flavors (including heat), meat, and lots of chunks of onion, peppers, tomatoes, and yes, beans. Guess you can call that Louisiana chili

I really would like to taste some good authentic Texas chili to see what it's all about, and I'm definitely open to different tastes. Just really curious about the no chunks thing.

BTW Chuck, your chili looks great to me!

Somebody somewhere decided the comp chili rules... Texas chili to me can have chunks if the cook wants them... can have beans too. Mine usually has beans, onions, garlic, peppers, meat etc...

Looks good to me Chuck
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JamesB wrote:Somebody somewhere decided the comp chili rules... Texas chili to me can have chunks if the cook wants them... can have beans too. Mine usually has beans, onions, garlic, peppers, meat etc...

Thanks, that clears it up a little for me, being just a comp thing. I've heard for so long that Texas chili doesn't have beans that I've really been wondering exactly that Texas chili is all about, as far as flavors & textures. Sounds like your chili really isn't very different from mine, if at all.

O k tell us the truth that looks like Bert's chile from the waffle hutt place.LOL
It looks like a decent bowl of chile soup( I don't do beans or chunks, if it got them to me it is soup). Would I eat it YES. To me chili is Tx red. Now if you want to put all the stuff (Except the beans) in with no chunks toss it all in the blender with a cup of Beef stock and blitz the bejesus out of it till it is smooth. Then add it to your pot.All the flavor no chunks.

BluDawg wrote:O k tell us the truth that looks like Bert's chile from the waffle hutt place.LOL
It looks like a decent bowl of chile soup( I don't do beans or chunks, if it got them to me it is soup). Would I eat it YES. To me chili is Tx red. Now if you want to put all the stuff (Except the beans) in with no chunks toss it all in the blender with a cup of Beef stock and blitz the bejesus out of it till it is smooth. Then add it to your pot.All the flavor no chunks.

That's where we differ. To you that's chili, to me it's a drink

BluDawg wrote:O k tell us the truth that looks like Bert's chile from the waffle hutt place.LOL
It looks like a decent bowl of chile soup( I don't do beans or chunks, if it got them to me it is soup). Would I eat it YES. To me chili is Tx red. Now if you want to put all the stuff (Except the beans) in with no chunks toss it all in the blender with a cup of Beef stock and blitz the bejesus out of it till it is smooth. Then add it to your pot.All the flavor no chunks.

That's backwards to me... If it's smooth, then it's soup... Like the kind you can drink outta da cup...

As said above, I usually make my Texas Chili with beans... Why? 'cause that is the way my Mama made it and that's how we like it... Our family tree goes so far back that we were Texans before Texas was a state, so any chili made by me is Texas Chili.

Now will also admit that there ain't no one and only way to make Texas Chili... Many folks use beans or chunks... some has a smooth gravy and some has floaters etc. Kinda like BBQ, there ain't just one way and everybody does theirs just a bit different...

Kenny 13 wrote:

JamesB wrote:Somebody somewhere decided the comp chili rules... Texas chili to me can have chunks if the cook wants them... can have beans too. Mine usually has beans, onions, garlic, peppers, meat etc...

Thanks, that clears it up a little for me, being just a comp thing. I've heard for so long that Texas chili doesn't have beans that I've really been wondering exactly that Texas chili is all about, as far as flavors & textures. Sounds like your chili really isn't very different from mine, if at all.

Don't ever confuse competition chili with a good Texas chili. Most comp chili is darn near inedible compared to good homemade. I've judged chili before, and you really have to follow the rules to survive. That no-chunks thing is I tend to believe based on trying to make the entries uniform, so there is less chance that one can identify the entry with a particular team or cook.

I think that initially all 'original' Texas chili owes it's origin to the chili created by the Chili Queens in San Antonio 150 years ago. Meat, onion, peppers, garlic, spices and water, and cooked for a really long time. If this chili is made right, you'll never miss the beans or tomato products.

Looks good to me!!!

Looks real good from here Chuck.

Dang son that is pretty right there!

not a chili cook, but all i need with that bowl is some saltine crackers.