| The answer could depend on how you define | | | | worked wonders with these poor cuts of meat. |
| "chili". For this article, I am defining | | | | The meat was cut into very small pieces and |
| chili as "any stew made with significant | | | | then boiled with the chiles and spices. |
| amounts of chiles". The Americanized recipe | | | | |
| consisted of dried beef, suet, dried chile | | | | In these Southwest jailhouses, chili became |
| peppers, and salt, which were pounded | | | | such a popular dish that former inmates, from |
| together and left to dry into bricks. Through | | | | time to time, wrote to prison systems |
| research, I have found three possible origins | | | | requesting the recipe, claiming that they |
| of chili. | | | | could not find a chili as good on the |
| | | | outside. |
| Back in the early 1840's, many Texan cowboys | | | | |
| headed west for the California gold fields or | | | | One of the most believable original chili |
| out for a big cattle round-ups. These cowboys | | | | recipes came in 1828 when J.C. Clopper |
| pounded beef fat and dried beef with chili | | | | observed what poor people in San Antonio were |
| peppers and salt to make a sort of a paste. | | | | doing. They would cut what little meat they |
| This paste was easy to carry, and it made a | | | | could afford into very small pieces and stew |
| food that wouldn't spoil quickly. They would | | | | it together with as many pieces of peppers. |
| boil this concoction with water while they | | | | |
| were on the trail to make a hearty, hot meal. | | | | Now, a few questions about you . . . |
| | | | |
| Others claim that these cowboys would plant | | | | Do you know the origin of your favorite chili |
| oregano, chiles, and onions along their well | | | | recipes? When you make chili, do your friends |
| heavily traveled trails in patches of | | | | always rave about it or ask you for your |
| mesquite. This kept the foraging cattle from | | | | recipe? Have you ever thought of creating a |
| eating them. As they moved along the trails, | | | | book of your favorite chili recipes? |
| they would harvest the spices, onions, and | | | | |
| chiles that they planted and combine them | | | | It's a lot simpler than you think, especially |
| with beef to make a dish called "Trail Drive | | | | when you use the Internet. I'm talking about |
| Chili". | | | | you creating and selling your own products. |
| | | | Like a collection of your favorite chili |
| Another version of the origin of chili says | | | | recipes or a newsletter announcing upcoming |
| that the first chili recipe was made in the | | | | cook-offs. I'm talking about a real business, |
| Texas prison systems, since only the cheapest | | | | with real products that you can be proud of. |
| meats were served in prison. Prison cooks of | | | | And a real potential for significant |
| the Southwest discovered that the chili | | | | long-term income. |
| pepper combined with certain spices and herbs | | | | |