Army Chili, 1896
"Teddy Roosevelt and his Rough Riders fed on this particular chili recipe which had been officially issued by the U.S. War Department in 1896. Perhaps it was this chili which sent him and his band of brave men storming up San Juan Hill with such vigor only a couple of years later."
- Ready In:
- 1hr
- Ingredients:
- 8
- Serves:
-
2
ingredients
- 2 lbs round steaks, diced
- 1 tablespoon bacon drippings, hot
- 2 cups boiling water
- 2 tablespoons rice
- 2 large dried red chilies (whole and de-seeded)
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
- 2 onions, chopped
directions
- In a very large skillet, briefly fry (brown) the steak in the bacon drippings.
- Add 1 cup of hot water and the rice. Cover and allow to simmer over very low heat until the rice is tender.
- Put the chilies into a bowl and pour in the second cup of boiling water over them and allow to stand until cool. Then, hand-squeeze the chilies until the water is red. Add the flour to the chili water and blend which should make it thicken. Discard the chili hulls.
- Add the chili water to the beef in the skillet and also add the salt and onions.
- Allow to simmer for about 10 more minutes (until onions are tender) and serve.
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Reviews
-
Was browsing Bone Man's recipe collection when my 13 yrs old son spotted this recipe. He is learning to feel his way around the kitchen now so he wanted to try this dish. ( the title and introduction really tweaked his interest) This is an excellent and unique chili recipe compared with what you find now days. I couldn't figure out how only 2 tbls. rice could play anything in this, but I followed the recipe as is(except for doubling the ingredients for our family(8). And I learned that even the army knew that rice in a slow simmered dish can act as a thickener. And it did very nicely. Would highly recommend this to anyone who wants to try an "authentic" american chili. Just 2 seasonings;onion, and dried red chili is all that is needed for a full flavored chili and the meat was very tender and delicious.
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<p>I am a retired State Park Resort Manager/Ranger. <br /><br />Anyway, as to my years in the State Park System (retired now), I was responsible for 4 restaurants/dining rooms on my park and my boss at Central Headquarters said I should spend less time in my kitchens and more time tending to my park budget. I spent 25 years in those kitchens and worked with some really great chefs over those years, (and some really awful ones too!) <br /><br />I spent THOUSANDS of hours on every inch of that park and adjacent state forest (60,000 acres) and sometimes I miss it. But mostly I miss being in that big beautiful resort lodge kitchen. I miss my little marina restaurant down on the Ohio River too. I served the best Reuben Sandwich (my own recipe -- posted on 'Zaar as The Shawnee Marina Reuben Sandwich) in both the State of Ohio and the Commonwealth of Kentucky down there and sold it for $2.95. Best deal on the river! <br /><br />They (friends and neighbors) call my kitchen The Ospidillo Cafe. Don't ask me why because it takes about a case of beer, time-wise, to explain the name. Anyway, it's a small galley kitchen with a Mexican motif (until my wife catches me gone for a week or so), and it's a very BUSY kitchen as well. We cook at all hours of the day and night. You are as likely to see one of my neighbors munching down over here as you are my wife or daughter. I do a lot of recipe experimentation and development. It has become a really fun post-retirement hobby -- and, yes, I wash my own dishes. <br /><br />Also, I'm the Cincinnati Chili Emperor around here, or so they say. (Check out my Ospidillo Cafe Cincinnati Chili recipe). SKYLINE CHILI is one of my four favorite chilis, and the others include: Gold Star Chili, Empress Chili and, my VERY favorite, Dixie. All in and around Cincinnati. Great stuff for cheap and I make it at home too. <br /><br />I also collect menus and keep them in my kitchen -- I have about a hundred or so. People go through them and when they see something that they want, I make it the next day. That presents some real challenges! <br /><br />http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/parks/parks/shawnee.htm</p>
