Chili con Carne

Description

Although some may think that chili con carne is an authentic Mexican dish, it is actually an original American dish, made only in a few places in Mexico in order to cater to the tourists. If the dish were Mexican, it would still be a staple on the Mexican menus throughout the country, since traditional dishes do not go away that easily in Mexico. Chili con carne is a meat-based stew consisting of finely chopped beef, hot chiles, seasonings, and water, although the ingredients that go in a chili are a subject of endless debates. Purists insist that there are no tomatoes or beans in a real chili, although many others beg to differ. The earliest evidence of chili con carne can be found in J.C.Clopper's document, who visited San Antonio in 1826 and wrote about this poor man's dish where chile peppers were stewed together with tiny pieces of meat. Today, chili con carne is a wildly popular dish throughout America, with variations such as Tex-Mex, New Mexico , and Cincinnati chili . There are also numerous chili cook-offs in the country, attracting thousands of participants each year.