Bowl of Red.

Byline: Lewis Taylor The Register-Guard

When it comes to chili - a dish that doesn't even have an agreed upon spelling - there are endless variations. Even the origins of the dish are uncertain.

Chili, or chile con carne, was most likely invented in south Texas in the 1700s or 1800s. It was a simple stew made with meat, chili powder and a few other spices, and it never contained beans. San Antonio is considered by many to be the birthplace of modern chili.

The use of chilies goes back much further. Chili peppers were eaten by Mexican Indians as early as 7000 B.C., and they were cultivated as early as 5200 B.C. The peppers spread to Europe, Asia and Africa and became common in Indian, African, Asian and Mexican cooking.

When it comes to chile con carne, one unlikely theory says the Aztecs made a chili-like stew out of the flesh of Spanish conquistadors. A more widely agreed upon story says San Antonio "chili queens" invented the dish as most of us know it. These Latina women sold chili on colorful carts in San Antonio's Military Plaza in the 1880s.

Another theory says settlers who came to San Antonio from the Canary Islands in 1731 made a spicy Spanish stew that wasn't too far from a chili.

Texas prisons also lay claim to the dish. During the mid-1880s, they started serving a cheap, watery stew made out of tough meat, chilies and spices to inmates.

Still another possibility is that chili began as trail food for Texans traveling to California during the Gold Rush. Dried beef and beef fat was pounded with chili peppers and salt to make a "chili brick" that could be boiled to make instant chili.

A variation on that story says the dish was popularized by Texas cowboys on cattle drives who planted chilies, oregano and onions along trails so they could add flavor to the meat they ate on cattle drives.

Regardless of where chili came from, whether it has beans in it, and whether you spell it with an e or an i, the one thing most chili lovers can agree on is this warming stew is just the thing this time of year, when the chill of fall is just starting to hit the air.

"It's a real good mouth-feel dish," says Mark Stern, head chef at Dish Comfort Food at Carte Blanche soup cart. "It's the kind of thing that has a lot of different elements in it, yet it still has separate parts to it in terms of tastes."

Eugene may not have the chili culture of, say, Terlingua, Texas, which has been hosting the International Chili Championships for nearly four decades, but it is possible to find a quality bowl of chili here.

Stern serves three different kinds of chili at his restaurants, including a conventional beef chili and a more unusual chipotle chicken chili made with smoked jalapenos. When using peppers to add heat, he prefers jalapenos to green chilies, which, he says, add an acidic bite.

Stern likes to use Mexican cotija cheese, sour cream and cilantro as garnishes.

One of the best-known local chilies can be found at the Tiny Tavern, which offers a nothing-fancy version of the stew, famously served with garlic bread and Olympia beer. Created by Lucile Johnson, the chili recipe was included in the sale of the bar when the Johnson family sold it to the current owner, Jeff Malos.

CHILI TIME

Also known as: Chile con carne, chilli, soup of the devil, bowl of red.

Beans or no beans: Putting beans in chili is enough to incite a riot in some parts of Texas. If you insist on using them, you can reduce flatulence by not using the water you soaked your beans in.

State dish: The Texas Legislature made chili the official state dish in 1977.

Cook-offs: The most famous chili cook-off happens in the ghost town of Terlingua, Texas. For a list of other events, go to www.chili.org/cookoffs .html.

CHILI TIPS

The following chili cooking advice comes from Texas chili expert John Raven:

Add a little sugar: Chili that is bitter can be sweetened with a little dark brown sugar. Just enough to kill the bitterness.

Absorb the salt: Chili that is too salty can be rescued by boiling a peeled potato in the pot. The potato will absorb a lot of the salt.

Instant thickness: If your chili comes out way too thin, add some instant mashed potatoes. This will also absorb salt and is an easy way to stretch a pot of chili when an unexpected guest shows up.

Add some spices later: Garlic needs to go in the pot in the last half of the cooking process because it will lose its whomp if cooked too long. Oregano will become bitter with too much cooking, so it too needs to go in toward the end of the cooking.

Mix and match: Experiment with different chili powders. If you find two that you like, you can try mixing them together.

Mail-order chili: There are numerous companies specializing in chili spices. Here are a few that can be ordered on-line: Adam's Extracts - www.adamsextract.com; Gunpowder Spices - www.bigbruce.com; and Pendery's Spices - www.penderys.com.

Cowboy Chili

This basic recipe is a great introduction to nontraditional Texas chili. It comes from a meat buyer at a natural grocery store in Colorado.

1 pound ground beef (chili grind, if possible)

2 tablespoons olive oil 

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 red or yellow bell pepper, chopped

2 to 3 cloves garlic, pressed

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 

1/4 cup chili powder, or to taste

2 cups cooked kidney or pinto beans

1 can (16 ounces) whole tomatoes, chopped

Chopped jalapeno peppers or green chilies (optional)

Splash of beer (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

In a heavy, deep skillet or dutch oven, brown ground beef in the oil. Add onions, bell peppers and garlic, and saute until translucent. Add cumin, chili powder, beans, tomatoes, jalapeno peppers or green chilies and beer if using, and bring to a low simmer. Let cook until vegetables are soft and flavors are well married. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If need be, add a little water or extra tomatoes for desired consistency.

Chipotle Chicken Chili

This recipe from Mark Stern of Dish Comfort Food and Cart Blanche soup cart offers another variation on traditional chili. The dish relies on chipotle chilies - large, smoked dried jalapenos - to provide a deep, smoky, well-balanced heat.

4 cups small red beans (sort, remove cracked beans, rocks, debris) soaked in 5 quarts of water, 4 hours minimum, change water at least once)

3 bay leaves

2 tablespoons sea salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large yellow onion, diced

6 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons oregano

1 teaspoon ground dark chili powder

1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 cup shredded chicken, cooked (grilled thighs, poached breast meat, your preference)

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon chipotle peppers, minced, plus juice

Chicken stock or bean liquid, to desired consistency

1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice

1 1/2 tablespoons cilantro, minced (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

Cotija cheese for garnish

Sour cream for garnish

Drain red beans. Cook red beans with 1 bay leaf, 1 tablespoon sea salt and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, for 40 minutes or until tender.

When beans are nearly done cooking, saute onions in olive oil and 1 tablespoon sea salt on medium heat in a small stock pot. Cook until translucent. Add garlic, cumin, oregano, 2 bay leaves and the chili powder and cook for 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook for 2 more minutes. Reserving liquid, add drained beans, chicken, cinnamon, and chipotle (add more than 1 tablespoon for more heat). Add enough chicken stock or bean liquid to cover. Simmer for 30 minutes to meld flavors.

Finish with lime juice, cilantro, salt and pepper. Garnish with cotija cheese and/or sour cream.

Serves 6 to 8.

Pedernales River Chili

This chili was a favorite of Lyndon Baines Johnson, the 36th president of the United States. The original recipe reportedly contained beef sullet, but after suffering a heart attack, Johnson was forced to eat this less greasy version. His wife, Lady Bird Johnson, handed out cards with the recipe printed on them, and the former president's love of chili helped ignite a national craze.

4 pounds chili-grind beef chuck or venison 

1 large onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon dried oregano (preferably Mexican oregano)

2 tablespoons chili powder (or more, to taste)

1 teaspoon ground cumin

Salt to taste

5 or 6 dashes Tabasco or other hot pepper sauce

2 cups hot water

1 1/2 cups canned whole tomatoes, undrained

Put the meat, onion and garlic in a Dutch oven, and cook over medium heat until the meat is lightly browned. Add the oregano, chili powder, cumin, salt and Tabasco. Pour in the water and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook for 1 hour. Skim fat during the cooking, if desired.

Source: Texas Cooking Online Inc.

Basic Texas Chili

This recipe comes from John Raven, a chili maven who served as a consultant on the Food Network special "The Secret History of Chili." As a starting point, Raven recommends Adams chili powder, which is available by mail at www.adamsextract.com.

2 pounds beef, round or chuck, cut into 1/2 inch cubes, all white removed

Oil or shortening

1 small onion, chopped fine

1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced

Salt and black pepper to taste

Water

2 to 3 tablespoons blended chili powder

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce

Cayenne pepper to taste (optional)

2 tablespoons flour

1/2 cup water

In a heavy skillet, saute the meat in a small amount of oil or shortening until it is gray and gives up its juices. Transfer the meat to a stew pot and discard the juices. While the meat is still hot, mix in the onion, garlic, salt and black pepper to taste. Cover and let set for 30 minutes. Add enough water to cover the meat. Put in the chili powder and cumin and bring to a simmer. Cook until the meat is tender. You may have to add more water if the mix becomes too dry. Add the tomato sauce and simmer another 20 minutes.

If the chili is not spicy enough for your taste, add a small amount of cayenne. Mix 2 tablespoons flour with the water. Raise the heat under the chili until you get a good boil. Stir in the flour/water mixture and continue stirring until mixture thickens. Reduce heat and simmer about 15 more minutes. Serve with saltines or tortillas.

Source: Texas Cooking Online Inc.

Red Chili With Meat

This Southwestern recipe is also known as Carne con Chile Colorado and comes from the cookbook "Cocina de la Familia" by Marilyn Tausend. The recipe is based on a style of chili found in the upper Rio Grande Valley in New Mexico and Colorado.

12 dried mild red chilies (preferably New Mexican) or 1/2 cup ground mild red chili pepper

2 tablespoons safflower or canola oil

2 pounds round steak or pork shoulder, cut into 1/4 -inch cubes

1 tablespoon flour

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon dried oregano (preferably Mexican)

1 teaspoon dried red chili flakes (optional)

1 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)

2 to 3 cups beef stock or water

1 medium white onion, finely chopped (for garnish)

Split the dried chilies and remove the stems, seeds and veins. Put the chilies in a heavy, ungreased skillet over low heat and roast for about 4 minutes, turning them often and pressing down with a spatula. They should change color, form a few blisters and give off a wonderful aroma. Do not let them burn. Remove from the heat and, when cool, process thoroughly in a spice or coffee grinder. The ground chili can be stored in a small, tightly sealed jar or plastic bag for some time.

In a Dutch oven or a large cast iron skillet with a lid, warm the oil over medium-high heat. Add the meat, sprinkle in the flour and brown the meat on all sides. Add the garlic, salt and pepper, and cook briefly. Stir in part of the ground chilies, oregano and additional chilies or cumin if using. Taste as you add to determine pungency and depth of flavor. Add more if needed.

Pour in the beef stock or water, turn the heat to low, cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the meat is tender. Some broth should still remain. The dish can be made in advance and refrigerated, then reheated.

Serve in a wide bowl topped with chopped onion.