The Gauntlet Thrown Down For Tex/mex Chili.

[tutsiwarrior]

^I tried the rice cooker with tescos kidneys with no luck...more encouraging with black beans, though...someone said earlier that adding salt before the last stages of cooking will inhibit proper cooked texture; is this true?

scea...I tried to get a vendor at the market to grind up the beef on offer but they wouldn't do it...it's like he thought the beef would damage his machine...so I brought my own from working elsewhere. Nice arrangement with your wife looking fer the real goods; my wife's family don't eat much beef...except fer the entrails....

[jfchandler]

The chili recipe I found online, specifically for making via kidney beans cooked in an electronic rice cooker, said to AVOID all seasonings, except maybe for a bay leave, until near the very end of the cooking process.

The recipe have said salt and other things containing salt, such as seasoning powders and blends, will make the beans tough. I've never added salt, so I can't vouch for that advice. But I've done several rounds without salt or other seasonings until the end, and they worked out great.

^I tried the rice cooker with tescos kidneys with no luck...more encouraging with black beans, though...someone said earlier that adding salt before the last stages of cooking will inhibit proper cooked texture; is this true?

[sceadugenga]

I'm a black bean convert now, they soften up great. As I said you have to keep changing the water when you soak them, then I give them a boil with a few dried chillies and drain them and then add them to the recipe.

Been experimenting with black beans and rice, apparently a Cuban dish.

[PeaceBlondie]

The Mayas I lived with in the Highlands of Mexico subsisted for millennia on little more than boiled black beans, corn tortillas, and later rice.

[tutsiwarrior]

The Mayas I lived with in the Highlands of Mexico subsisted for millennia on little more than boiled black beans, corn tortillas, and later rice.

I was in Nicaragua in the 80's and because of the embargo things were hard to find but you could always find gallo pinto which was a mixture of black beans and rice served on a banana leaf from a street vendor...useta live on the stuff...add corn tortillas and you got good vegetable protein

sometimes when I got back to town late from work they had sold out of fritangas and I hadta go hungry...I was soon back to my old high school fighting weight due to the circumstances...

there was always plenty of Flor de Cana rum...the white is the best I've tasted anywhere...mixed with fresh local fruit juice could not be beat...but rum alone is not a sustainable scenario when yer tryin' t'save the world so I pussed out and split; next stop the flesh pots of Mexico City with wonderful street food anytime of the day or night...

[sabaijai]

The chili recipe I found online, specifically for making via kidney beans cooked in an electronic rice cooker, said to AVOID all seasonings, except maybe for a bay leave, until near the very end of the cooking process.

The recipe have said salt and other things containing salt, such as seasoning powders and blends, will make the beans tough. I've never added salt, so I can't vouch for that advice. But I've done several rounds without salt or other seasonings until the end, and they worked out great.

^I tried the rice cooker with tescos kidneys with no luck...more encouraging with black beans, though...someone said earlier that adding salt before the last stages of cooking will inhibit proper cooked texture; is this true?

My recommendation - avoid beans altogether when making chili

[tutsiwarrior]

The chili recipe I found online, specifically for making via kidney beans cooked in an electronic rice cooker, said to AVOID all seasonings, except maybe for a bay leave, until near the very end of the cooking process.

The recipe have said salt and other things containing salt, such as seasoning powders and blends, will make the beans tough. I've never added salt, so I can't vouch for that advice. But I've done several rounds without salt or other seasonings until the end, and they worked out great.

^I tried the rice cooker with tescos kidneys with no luck...more encouraging with black beans, though...someone said earlier that adding salt before the last stages of cooking will inhibit proper cooked texture; is this true?

My recommendation - avoid beans altogether when making chili

get outta here...then we'd haveta deal with the tough beef issue and who ever heard of makin' chili with pork, chicken and fish?

(the chili discussion ascends to the transcendental...)

[NanaFoods]

I've also made chilli with pinto beans, that I found at Villa.

Quite nice, actually.

[sceadugenga]

Are they the speckled ones?

[jfchandler]

I've used both pinto and kidney beans here, starting from dried versions of both...

I liked the results in both cases...though they have a bit of a different texture and taste...

But for homemade chili, it's all good.

[tutsiwarrior]

^yeah, but...where'd ye get them beans?...a big issue here is the source; in BKK you can buy canned anything including any kind of beans...can also get garbanzos for hummous and maybe even tahini. out here in the provinces we are limited to what's on offer at the local supermarket an' many times what they got is past sell buy or generally shouldn't be fed to pigs...

I've never seen beans in thai cuisine so that the locals probably don't eat the stuff...so why is it on the shelf?...a big question...

a big cast iron skillet with quick chili useta be a favorite repast in places where I could find the ingredients...hard to believe that in the place that I've chose to settle they ain't got none...

[tutsiwarrior]

I love havin' a rant...don't yew?

[tutsiwarrior]

btw, I was at the market this morning about 6 with the MiL...got sum lovely mushrooms and cabbage and caulis and broccoli...the tomatoes weren't nice and there wasn't any lettuce in sight, an' the lady chopped up the ribs even after I said not to...I left it up to the MiL...

as the MiL is about 70, knows everyone and every inch of ground at the market I stuck out my chest with our purchases and walked on down the road secure in the knowledge that I wasn't cheated..

never did see no beans...

[jfchandler]

Tutsi...can't speak to the availability of dried beans in Suphanburi.... I'll leave that to you!

But in Bangkok, dried pintos and kidney beans, as well as canned kidneys in liquid, are readily available at the major supermarkets such as Villa, Foodland, Tops and others.

Just in case, I brought a 5 lb bag of pintos back from the U.S. on my last trip in June... But after that, I found Foodland and other places are stocking them in dried form bags as well...

And yes.... I use S&W canned garbanzos from Villa for homemade hummus.... Tastes GREAT!!!! Central Food and Tops tend to stock the more expensive Waitrose brand... But for some reason, neither Tesco nor Carrefour seems to stock canned g's at all...

[sabaijai]

The chili recipe I found online, specifically for making via kidney beans cooked in an electronic rice cooker, said to AVOID all seasonings, except maybe for a bay leave, until near the very end of the cooking process.

The recipe have said salt and other things containing salt, such as seasoning powders and blends, will make the beans tough. I've never added salt, so I can't vouch for that advice. But I've done several rounds without salt or other seasonings until the end, and they worked out great.

^I tried the rice cooker with tescos kidneys with no luck...more encouraging with black beans, though...someone said earlier that adding salt before the last stages of cooking will inhibit proper cooked texture; is this true?

My recommendation - avoid beans altogether when making chili

get outta here...then we'd haveta deal with the tough beef issue and who ever heard of makin' chili with pork, chicken and fish?

(the chili discussion ascends to the transcendental...)

Oh no it's not just beans in the chili, it's *vegetarian* chili. Ok will leave it to the chili gourmets

[sceadugenga]

Tutsi...can't speak to the availability of dried beans in Suphanburi.... I'll leave that to you!

But in Bangkok, dried pintos and kidney beans, as well as canned kidneys in liquid, are readily available at the major supermarkets such as Villa, Foodland, Tops and others.

Just in case, I brought a 5 lb bag of pintos back from the U.S. on my last trip in June... But after that, I found Foodland and other places are stocking them in dried form bags as well...

And yes.... I use S&W canned garbanzos from Villa for homemade hummus.... Tastes GREAT!!!! Central Food and Tops tend to stock the more expensive Waitrose brand... But for some reason, neither Tesco nor Carrefour seems to stock canned g's at all...

Surely there's a Macro up there, they carry dried beans etc.

[maxjay]

A good source in Bangkok for beans, flours, etc. They will also deliver to the Provinces.

You will need to enlarge the attachments.

Beans are on page 6.

attachments_2009_09_20.zip

Edited October 16, 2009 by maxjay

[Ulysses G.]

Even in San Antonio, the El Paso or Pace brand offered cans of prepared chili, with or without beans...but their commercials said if the chili came from New York City, hang the cook!.

Hormel ain't half bad for canned chili, they also do a good line in canned tamales...

Before I started making my own chilli, in my youthful school years, I used to eat a lot of Dennison's -- not sure why. Never tried the El Paso or Pace, but I think I bought Hormel whenever I got bored with Dennison's.

Not sure which brand, but there was one that offered a "with jalapenos" option.

On the topic of Red Beans:

I must be getting different ones, or different source, or something... they always seem to come out tender for me, especially in the slow cooker. I haven't used them for quite a while, so my memory is fuzzy, but its possible I picked them up at Lotus - not bulk, but packaged in a bag.

[tutsiwarrior]

Tutsi...can't speak to the availability of dried beans in Suphanburi.... I'll leave that to you!

But in Bangkok, dried pintos and kidney beans, as well as canned kidneys in liquid, are readily available at the major supermarkets such as Villa, Foodland, Tops and others.

Just in case, I brought a 5 lb bag of pintos back from the U.S. on my last trip in June... But after that, I found Foodland and other places are stocking them in dried form bags as well...

And yes.... I use S&W canned garbanzos from Villa for homemade hummus.... Tastes GREAT!!!! Central Food and Tops tend to stock the more expensive Waitrose brand... But for some reason, neither Tesco nor Carrefour seems to stock canned g's at all...

Surely there's a Macro up there, they carry dried beans etc.

yeah...there is a macro in amphur suphan that I just discovered after nearly 8 years of coming up from south suphan to shop at tescos...the wife knew all the time an' never said nothin'...y'see macros ain't got clothes and gee-gaws so the wimmin didn't prefer it...if this was rural afghanistan this would be grounds for death by terrible means...

macros is like an oasis to someone dying in the lotus desert...there is a whole section for pulses and spices...they even have whole coriander for making curries that I thought that I'd haveta go to sum horrible tiny shop in BKK to obtain...

as we were buying a fridge and diverted by the magnificent offering on the shelves I didn't think to look fer beans...but the next shopping trip will be a dedicated macro experience...

[NanaFoods]

Are they the speckled ones?

Yes.

Pinto beans are speckled - they are same beans used to make frijoles (Mexican refried beans)

Of course, chilli hounds consider any beans in chile con carne a "filler" and somewhat of a taboo.

However, for a one-dish meal, such as a quick lunch, I rather like beans in my bowl of chilli served with either garlic bread or flour tortillas. Not to mention, they do help round out the meal by at least providing some fiber in an otherwise nearly all meat dish.

Chilli with beans is also convenient for making a quick burrito with leftovers: just add some mexi-rice, maybe some cheese, onions, and avocado in a warmed flour tortilla along with the chilli & beans. Not bad.

[tutsiwarrior]

anyone got a recipe for flour tortillas using locally sourced ingredients?

(for the benefit of us upcountry bumkins that ain't got no access to Foodland or Villa Market, please )

[metisdead]

Are they the speckled ones?

Yes.

Pinto beans are speckled - they are same beans used to make frijoles (Mexican refried beans)

Of course, chilli hounds consider any beans in chile con carne a "filler" and somewhat of a taboo.

However, for a one-dish meal, such as a quick lunch, I rather like beans in my bowl of chilli served with either garlic bread or flour tortillas. Not to mention, they do help round out the meal by at least providing some fiber in an otherwise nearly all meat dish.

Chilli with beans is also convenient for making a quick burrito with leftovers: just add some mexi-rice, maybe some cheese, onions, and avocado in a warmed flour tortilla along with the chilli & beans. Not bad.

I concur!

[jfchandler]

I've been eating chili of all kinds all my life... and I like/prefer beans in my chili....

The beans add some substance, some fiber, some bulk to the dish... and make it very satisfying....

Of course, I can eat all-meat chili, and indeed had some from the latest BKK chili cookoff, since the rules said no beans. And it was fine/OK, but felt a little "light"...

But for my choice, I'll take chili with beans every day.

PS - I never had chili with pinto beans ever in my life, though (always kidney beans) until a friend of mine here persuaded me to try making a homemade batch with pintos, which I did...and the result was quite good. But there's something about the size and texture of the navy beans that make them so nice...maybe that extra chewy-ness.

[jfchandler]

Hey Maxjay... that product list has some really great things in it... I don't know this company at all... never heard of them before. But I'd sure like to know more about them, who to contact, and/or how they do business. And do they have a location you can go to see their products...before ordering???

For people's convenience, I also combined the 6 different image files you posted into a single Adobe PDF file that might be easier for some folks to access and view... File is attached here.

BBI_Company_Products_List.pdf

A good source in Bangkok for beans, flours, etc. They will also deliver to the Provinces.

You will need to enlarge the attachments.

Beans are on page 6.

[NanaFoods]

anyone got a recipe for flour tortillas using locally sourced ingredients?

(for the benefit of us upcountry bumkins that ain't got no access to Foodland or Villa Market, please )

See: http://www.nanaproducts.com/El_Sapo.html

Recipe under "Mexican Favorites" -- first item listed under "Basics".

I highly recommend the Sonoran style tortillas.

[maxjay]

Hey Maxjay... that product list has some really great things in it... I don't know this company at all... never heard of them before. But I'd sure like to know more about them, who to contact, and/or how they do business. And do they have a location you can go to see their products...before ordering???

Their address (in Thai) is on the tops of the pages, also their telephone numbers.

Probably best to telephone them and find out where in Bangkok they are located. If you don't speak Thai, have someone call for you.

I would think it would be OK to go to their location, view their products, and purchase right then and there.

A friend of mine here in Udon, orders from them. I tell him what I want and he includes my order in with his. He telephones them, places the order, deposits money into their bank account, and the package arrives via bus, usually the next day. Easy. Everything arrives in good condition.

Thanks for combining the pages.

ChefHeat...I got a great idea for a new product for you. Bottled chili sauce. Add your favorite cooked meat, beans if you like, simmer it for awhile. Chili!

[NanaFoods]

ChefHeat...I got a great idea for a new product for you. Bottled chili sauce. Add your favorite cooked meat, beans if you like, simmer it for awhile. Chili!

Hi maxjay,

Actually, I have in development a chile con carne, but with meat... another one with meat & beans.

Interesting idea.... I think I'll make a poll and include your concept in it.

I have a few ideas on the drawing board, but would like some feedback from folks to prioritize the list.

Please look for my new thread/poll.

Thanks

[tutsiwarrior]

anyone got a recipe for flour tortillas using locally sourced ingredients?

(for the benefit of us upcountry bumkins that ain't got no access to Foodland or Villa Market, please )

See: http://www.nanaproducts.com/El_Sapo.html

Recipe under "Mexican Favorites" -- first item listed under "Basics".

I highly recommend the Sonoran style tortillas.

excellent...right on, chef heat

[jfchandler]

Was shopping in Villa Suk Soi 11 today and noticed they have back in stock something I used to buy back in Los Angeles... Health Valley canned chilis, in quite a few different varieties...including a mango variety I've NEVER seen or heard of before...priced between 115 and 131 baht per can.

They're not bad... a little on the thin side, because they're "healthy" and "natural" varieties without all the fillers and such. A different style from Dennison's and Hormel. But OK especially for healthier eating...

[kikoman]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chili_con_carne doesn't say so, but chili was born in San Antonio in the 1700's, when Texas was part of Mexico and Spain. I heard that some spices came from from the Spanish settlers from the Canary Islands.

Chili con carne is the official state dish of Texas. I doubt there is an official recipe, and I doubt it must destroy tongues.

When you talk about American Chile con Carne your statements may be true, But "Carne De Res Con Chile Colorado" Chile con Carne dates back to the 1500s when the Spanish introduced beef to Mexico.

Tex Mex food is a sub species to Mexican /American food and Mexican restaurants that are aimed to attracting the non Mexican Customers. Most of the food talked about in this forum are authentic copies of American Food and have no likeness to real Mexican food.

Some stress that a certain type of Cheese be used Monterey Jack ,Cheddar, etc. The Cheeses used in Mexico are a completely different type, Queso Quesadillas, Quezo Fresco, Queso Blanco, Chihuahua, Asadero. Cojita among others.

Very few non tourist oriented restaurants serve "Combination" plates, They serve a Comida Corriente, that is a prepared plate for those that have a short lunch hour, Tacos in Sonora were hard shell fried with the filling. shredded beef with potatoes, on the other hand Taquitos were soft small corn tortillas, usually 4 to a plate with an array of fillings, Lengua, Sesos, Tripas, Barbacoa, Carnitas etc. with the fresh vegetables and salsa of your choice to add to your liking, topped with a squeezing of limon.

The food I make here is mostly of the Mexican/ American variety, as I have to do with what is available here In Thailand.

How many of you have eaten Sweet Bean Tamales,Vegetable Tamales, Tamales de Elote that are mostly made in the states of Sonora and Arizona?

Mexican Food is Completely different, than American/Mexican food or that food sold in Restaurants that cater to American tourist.

California food (L A) is most like food of Mexico as most of its population are recent immigrants.

None of the food is made in New York City,

Cheers

Edited October 22, 2009 by kikoman