We work pretty hard to try to recreate nostalgic comfort foods from back home, which can sometimes be a challenge because the ingredients are not always readily available. Even when they are, sometimes the quality is different. When it comes to vegetables, we often find different varietals or cultivars than we’re accustomed to.
“Chili,” or even anything approximating it, isn’t super common here. If you search Albert Heijn for chili you’ll notice a stark difference from the same search at HEB. Even making it yourself is fraught with challenges, as the quality of meat and other ingredients is different.
For the first several years after the Texas Stars came to Austin in 2009, my buddy Steve and I would get a post-game snack at the Steak ‘n Shake in Round Rock. I’d usually get the Chili 5-way (which includes beans). So this dish is more than a little sentimental, even if it’s nothing like what I actually recognize as “chili.” Sadly, Steak ‘n Shake pulled out of Central Texas quite some time ago.
My “Chili” 4-Way
I looked in the fridge today and saw a small container of spaghetti sitting next to another container of ground beef with burrito seasoning, an onion, and shredded cheddar.
There’s no real magic here. It’s spaghetti with burrito meat, onion, and shredded cheddar. It worked out fairly well, though real Cincinnati Chili is quite a bit wetter than this.
This will undoubtedly irritate two types of people: Italians Mad At Food and Texans with strong opinions about constitutes “chili.” Either way, it was a nice, nostalgic lunch with a twist. Maybe I can track down some Wolf Brand Chili and do it right sometime.