Chili Con Carne

Once considered a very exotic meal by Americans, chili con carne is now right at home within their cuisine, often credited as the dish that gave rise to Tex-Mex cuisine and consequently enjoying special status as the official state dish of Texas.

And what’s the story behind it?

Sister Maria De Agreda never left her home country of Spain, yet she claimed to have evangelized the ‘savages of the New World’ by visiting them through hypnotic visions. It’s true that in 1629, 50 Jumano Indians walked out of the Texan desert in order to be baptized. They claimed that an ethereal woman clad in blue taught them about god. Furthermore, Indian legend has it, she taught them of the fiery red stew that we know today as chili con carne.

Unsurprisingly, religious priests didn’t like this one bit. They deemed it a ‘soup of the devil’ and warned everyone against indulgence. Naturally, just like prohibition in America, suppression only serves to fuel the fire. Through the 19th century, chili con carne was a staple dish among cowboys and adventurers on the Western frontier, despite the fact you’ll never catch John Wayne eating it. The cowboys, rounding up their huge herds of cattle and driving them to railheads such as Kansas and Nebraska during the 1860s and 70s, needed something filling for their long journeys and arduous work. In stepped the infamous ‘bowl o’ red’ stew.

On olive oil saute chopped onions, peppers and garlic for a few minutes minutes.

Add minced beef and chilli flakes and cook for another couple of minutes. Season with salt, pepper, cumin and ground coriander, add tomato paste and canned tomatoes, pinto beans, sweetcorn and chopped parsley, then simmer for 15 more minutes.

Serve over some cooked rice.

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Chilli Con Carne

Yield: 2

Ingredients

• Minced beef - 150 g
• Pinto beans - 150 g
• Sweetcorn - 100 g
• Onion - 1/2
• Garlic - 2 cloves
• Sweet red pepper - 1/2
• Tomato paste - 2 tablespoons
• Canned tomatoes - 100 g
• Chilli flakes - 1/2 teaspoon
• Cumin - 1/2 teaspoon
• Coriander - 1/2 teaspoon
• Parsley - 1 tablespoon
• Olive oil - 1 teaspoon

Instructions

1. On olive oil saute chopped onions, peppers and garlic for 5 minutes.
2. Add minced beef and chilli flakes and cook for 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, cumin and ground coriander, add tomato paste and canned tomatoes, pinto beans, sweetcorn and chopped parsley, then simmer for 15 more minutes.