You may have heard there’s a difference between Mexican Chili and Texas Chili. Well, there is. And judging by the questions popping up online lately, it’s time to reprise the issue and clarify it -again. Actually, it’s not really a complicated affair at all…
Classic Mexican Chili: No meat, but lots of beans. And, in this case, loads of
extra veggies including Elote (Mexican roasted street corn),
squash, onions, and – of course – tomatoes!
The difference between Mexican and Texas Chili really breaks down to fundamental differences in culture and history. And a split that took place in the mid-late 1800s…
A natural
The basic idea of Chili is a natural, and it’s been a staple format and flavour in Mexican cuisine or centuries. As you might have suspected, Texans and other southwestern US settlers simply adopted the tradition from the indigenous folks they encountered when they set down roots in the 19th Century.
Traditional Mexican Chili
The chief ingredients in authentic Mexican Chili include just a few iconic items: Beans, Dry or Fresh Chili Peppers, and Tomatoes. Other veggies or additions may also show up depending on regional variances.
The version known as Chili Colorado (Red) gets it distinctive red colour from significant additions of hot Cayenne Pepper and Paprika. Other spices, notably, coriander, are often found in Mexican-style chili, as well.
The classic bean for authentic Mexican Chili is the Pinto Bean.
Texas Chili
The chief distinction between ‘classic’ Texas Chili and its historic Mexican precursor boils down two central factors… But it does have Ground Beef and lots of it. In addition, Texas Chili has no Tomatoes. Purists will point out that Texas Chilis are almost always brown in colour, as a result of the predom-inance of roasted, dried, ground chili pepper.
Classic Texas Chili usually has no beans.
Tex-Mex Chili
Tex-Mex Chili differentiates itself from ‘pure’ Texas and Mexican styles in a number of ways, not the least of which is, it always contains a generous amount of Beef. And the beef may be either ground or cubed. If Ground Beef alone is used, Tex-Mex Chili fans say you may find up to twice as much as you would in ‘straight’ Texas Chili.
Tex-Mex Chili is the most popular version outside of Mexico and Central America, and the most-recent Chili ‘breed’ to emerge. As befits a modern, cosmopolitan dish, you’ll often find certain other veggies included, not the least of which is Elote, or roasted Mexican Street Corn. Regional variations abound.
Tex-Mex Chili usually uses Kidney Beans or a mix of Kidney and Pinto beans. Because it uses both beans and Beef, Tex-Mex Chili is commonly referred to by Mexican Chili purists as ‘Chili con Carne’, or ‘Chili with Meat’. (See photo, top of page.)
Cowboy Chili
Here’s an interesting off-shoot of the broader Chili tradition. It hails typically from the border-land, where thousands of semi-wild long-horned cattle once roamed, more or less free, for most of their lives, waiting for roundup and the ‘drive’ to the railhead. Since there was always lots of Beef to be had on cattle drives, Chili took on a special significance to the old, frontier cowboys as a staple on their long drives…
Thus, it should come as no surprise that Cowboy Chili is often a blend of ground and chunked Beef, more along the lines of what we call Tex-Mex these days.
And it usually leans decidedly toward its direct ancestor, Texas Chili, in as much as it will probably be bean-free.
In general…
Cilantro is classic on top of any Chili as a garnish. Always.
Contrary to popular belief, neither Crema nor Sour Cream are considered ancient, traditional top-pings for any classic version of Chili.
Likewise, neither are Queso Fresco nor any medium-hard melting cheese such as Cheddar or Jack is considered authentic or classic Chili toppings.
My take
Yes… The history and origins of the different types of Chilis is much more complex than most folks realize until they get into the ‘meat (and beans) of the matter…
But once you do become familiar with the similarities and differences between the classic – and ‘upstart’ – versions of Chili, be much more confident ordering the stuff. And your expectations concerning what you’ll get when you order Chili in different cultural and geographic regions will be clearer and much more realistic.
I, for one, have not been caught out as a ‘Chili impostor’ for many decades – since I took the time to learn the similarities and differences….
~ Maggie J.