Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Food, Cooking, and Game Preparation Chocolate in Texas Chili

Yea or Nea?

I have a recipi I'm pretty satisfied with, but I keep reading about putting Bakers Chocolate in Chili. Thinking about trying it tonight but I hate to ruin a whole pot.
What do ya'll say?

PS,,, keep in mind that I'm talking about "Chili" here. Not a bowl full of beans and tomatoes. ;>)

The killer recipe I use does include chocolate, so it must do some good.

I use chocolate and a bit of fresh ground nutmeg dried chilis and it adds a really nice flavor.

I use a good quality unsweetened bakers chocolate

I've got maybe 20 or so different recipes for Chili in my WORD File... recipes that I've found on the net plus a few recipes from friends. I looked through ALL of 'em, but none of 'em have chocolate in 'em. I even checked the "Cincinnati Chili" recipe figuring if any Chili had chocolate in it, it would be that abortion called "Cincinnati Chili".

I supposedly have the original Cincinnati Chili recipe, but I was wrong. While there's a ton of small amounts of a good many different kinda "strange" ingredients in the original REAL "Cincinnati Chili" recipe, chocolate is NOT one of 'em.

That said, I'm SURE I've seen a few Chili recipes that had some semi-sweet chocolate in 'em, but don't know where those recipes went. I thought they were in my extensive recipe file in my WORD program, but I couldn't find 'em if they are.

A pilot buddy of mine owned a fairly large and successful candy-making business before he retired... and I pretty sure he used "Baker's Chocolate"... and I believe that commercial Baker's Chocolate he used WAS actually semi-sweet chocolate, so you may be on the right track looking to use "Baker's chocolate" which is, I believe, the same as "semi-sweet chocolate".

However, since Ribka (his post is just above this one) mentioned that his Baker's Chocolate is "unsweetened", there may be different grades of "Baker's Chocolate"... I really don't know.

However, the commercial chocolate my friend used in making some of his candy (like his delicious chocolate-covered Marshmallow Easter Eggs) which he called "Baker's Chocolate" was definitely "semi-sweet" because I bought a 20 pound "bar" of it which looked exactly like a GIANT Hershey Bar as a gift for a good friend who is a "chocolate addict".

Yet, in looking over a good many different Chili recipes while looking for a recipe with chocolate in it, I noticed that a good many different Chili Recipes use dark brown sugar as an ingredient indicating they added sweetness to the Chili, so perhaps it would make no difference whether you used semi-sweet or unsweetened chocolate.

Sorry I couldn't be of more help... I'm a "Chili-Head" of the first order, but I apparently don't have any Chili recipes with chocolate in 'em.


Strength & Honor...

Ron T.

I wouldn't be completely adverse to breaking off a bit of chocolate into a batch of chili, but if you have a chili recipe that works, I wouldn't mess with it. It's chili...

I made the mistake of trying a pinch of cinnamon into my batch. I couldn't eat it. I'll never, ever, add a cinnamon to a savory dish so long as I live. Just smelling the cinnamon cooking in the chili for the day ruined it for me.

I love cinnamon toast, on apples and applesauce, on pancakes, etc... but I'll never attempt to put cinnamon on anything approaching savory ever again.

BE CAREFUL...

chocolate in chili? Barf!

Chocolate in Tex-Mex chili not only NO but Hell NO.

Chocolate? Cinnamon? and people balk a beans

LOL,,,, good point!

I tried it last night and was NOT impressed. Didn't ruin it, but It kinda negates the Masa Herina which I really like the flavor of as long as you don't overdo it and put it in early enough to cook down.
For the record the recipi called for 1/2oz of "Bakers" brand unsweetened baking chocolate.

I've read about the Cinnamon thing too. Don't think I'll be trying that either.
No more science projects for me. I'll stick with Meat, Chili's and spices.

Actually having a sweet to balance heat is a well established culinary tool. I always put in a bit of sugar in mine, and i would bet 90% of the population couldnt eat my chili without getting the "coyotes" the next morning.

Maybe,,,, but there's nothing "sweet" about bakers chocolate.
Seems to me that using sugar to turn down the heat is kinda redundant anyway.

Still don't plan to try any more products used to make cookies and candies in my Chili.
I don't like Applesauce on Pork, Cranberry's on Turkey, or Mint Jelly on Lamb so I should have known that Chocolate in Chili wouldn't be any different, but my favorite author on field sports and philosify reccomended it so I gave it a try.

"I use a good quality unsweetened bakers chocolate"

My bad meant Dutch processed cocoa powder. 1 to 2 tbs depending on amount. I sometimes add 1/4 cup red wine. I cook in a cast iron Dutch oven put in the oven. Whenever I bring my moose, elk or deer chili to potluck dinners it is always first to go. have had many non game eaters, women, compliment me on the chili and beg for recipe.
I always tweak recipes and enjoy experimenting with many types of ethnic foods.

Working on a mole sauce today.

To be more specific, the recipe I have calls for cocoa powder, and I certainly wouldn't recommend someone just taking their own recipe and adding cocoa powder to it.

Didn't know there were so many chili snobs around here...LOL

Yeah, its not like somebody suggested using margarine or anything.

John

I maintain an open mind on this...LOL

I understand the need for making your reply a bit cryptic.

As I recall, you are aware of the terrible fate that the brutal mob which reside on The 'Fire would wreak on anybody who admitted to even clandestine margarine use...

Said person would have a hard time being taken seriously on matters of real importance like chili recipes (whether or not they involved erotic oleo dreams of pale yellow goodness)...

John -- who is aware that there will be few here with the memory which will let them figure out what the hell I am writing about...

No snobbery here.
I tried it per a recipi that was very similar to mine and didn't like it.
Nothing more, nothing less.

i've heard of adding good strong black coffee to a chili. if coffee might work, then maybe chocolate has a place in the mix also.

with price of beef escalating, i'm beginning to wonder what else might fit into a good chili.

I too have seen recipi's that call ed for coffee.
Haven't tried it though.

I use 50/50 beef and pork in mine. Not that Pork's a whole lot cheaper. Also subistute Elk for beef when I've got it and honestly can't tell the difference but my friends say they like it better.

I have thrown in wild Boar with elk and deer with good results.

I would rather eat elk deer moose over beef any day.