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In reply to the discussion: This discussion may draw blood: I just won a Chili Cook-Off [View all]dr.strangelove
(4,851 posts)Essentially this is the question one must answer if you want to answer the "with ot without" beans question. For some, Texas chili come from the ranch riders, cowboys herding cattle and making one pot meals over a fire. They certainly were not soaking dry beans on horseback and slow cooking them. So chili in the cowboy sense of the word certainly has no beans. But Aztecs were serving bean based meat stews for hundreds of years, far longer than any white man was ever thinking about Texas cattle. So if you think chili is a mexican dish, it certainly has beans in it.
to me, chili is whatever you want it to be. the stereotypical Texan claims ownership of the term, but that is as insane as kentucky claiming fried chicken. Its just a stew. Put in whatever veggies, beans, meats, tofu, spices that you like, and enjoy it.
Food is meant to be eaten, not debated. I like mine with beans, spicy, but not too spicy, served with an icy cold pale ale and bread for dipping (corn or other).