Canned Chili

[Bird]

Pat, there were vendors walking and pushing carts selling tamales in both Ardmore and Healdton when I was a kid. And you probably remember when we bought one pound "blocks" of chili at the grocery store, too.

And while I'm definitely DOWN on canned chili, I do keep some on hand to use on hot dogs occasionally and to pour on my tamales. I just keep hoping to find some that's better.

I like the "original" Bush's baked beans, so I had high hopes for their chili, and was really disappointed in it. My wife also bought a can of their "grillin' beans"; tasted like someone accidentally spilled the whole bottle of liquid smoke in that can. [img]/forums/images/icons/frown.gif[/img]

[JazzDad]

And now you're heading down another road I travel frequently. I buy cans of beans, wash the sauce off, and make my own sauce. It's much faster than soaking your beans, and the associated cook time. Plus you can make the sauce as thick as you prefer.

[img]/forums/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img] (<-- that's licking my lips)

[Bird]

I've never washed the sauce or seasonings off canned beans. I guess that really is quicker than cooking dried beans, although I still enjoy a pot of pinto beans now and then and they're really not much trouble with the crockpot. We usually just season those beans with a little bacon, salt and pepper, and while it's been a few years since I did it, I used to like to dump a can of that canned chili in a big pot of beans just for a little seasoning.

A pot of pinto beans, some fried taters, and a pan of cornbread makes a good meal anytime, and if you really want a big meal, add some steamed or boiled cabbage. [img]/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif[/img]

[Pat]

I was used to hearing the chili called bricks as in a brick of chili. They were cast in molds and had a little tallow or fat, colored from the spices, to seal the brick in and make it air tight.

I only recall going to Healton one time. It was when I was in high school in Lindsay and my dad's company had a big regional picnic there for the various company employees. He worked for the Magnolia Petroleum Company the production arm of Mobile oil, the flying red horse folks.

Pat

[Bird]

You're right, Pat, that chili was called "bricks" instead of "blocks". I guess I'm gettin' forgetful in my old age. Healdton was a rough oil field town. My mother and her family lived there for a little while when mother was just a kid, but then moved to Oklahoma City. I think that was when my granddad was working as a bookkeeper for Sinclair Oil. Anyway, we moved to Healdton when I was in the 5th grade and I had the same 5th grade teacher my mother'd had.

When we were there, my dad worked for Johnston Testers (oil well testing company). Then they transferred him to Marlow, then decided to close the Marlow shop and transferred him back to Healdton, then decided they'd made a mistake and transferred him back to Marlow. I remember some of the employees just hoping they wouldn't get transferred to Pampa, TX, because of the winters there. [img]/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif[/img]

So dad quit Johnston Testers in June, 1956, and bought a Texaco service station in Marietta, across the street from the courthouse. We did a booming business that summer, but the highway was temporarily routed through town because of a bridge that was out on U.S.77, but with the 1956 drought, and the re-opening of the highway, out business went to almost nothing. The farmers were broke, the Chevrolet dealership next door went under, etc. We got lucky and had a buyer for the station in November, 1956, and moved to Plano, TX, where dad bought a Mobil service station, then added the auto parts store and the Greyhound and Continental Trailways bus station.

[JazzDad]

Your dad was a mogul- a regular magnate!

[roho627]

Well I fix a crockpot of pintos bout once a week & was lookin for something a little different So when I read about "CAN of CHILLI" in them, I gave it a try today! Will let ya'll know after supper on what I thought! Only thing is I just got throu reading something about some benifit of eating kidney beans so I went half & half! Wonder how that's gonna taste? [img]/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif[/img]

[Pat]

Not to worry. I have made chili with all kidney beans and it is just fine. That of course is a matter of taste and some folks may not like it as well. It will certainly NOT be a disaster.

Pat

[roho627]

Well dined on pintos/kidney beans w/a can of Wolf Brand Chilli last nite & it was Ok but not my FAV! Dear Wife seemed to enjoy it, but she enjoys any thing anytime SHE don't have to COOK IT! Right now I'll go bac to my pintos & add kidneys w/o chilli! Anybody got any good bean recipes! I have been puttin in a can of V8 that someone suggested [img]/forums/images/icons/cool.gif[/img]

[Bird]

I thought you were on the right track, but then you said "add kidneys w/o chili" when it should have been "add chili w/o kidneys". [img]/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif[/img] Actually, like Pat said, it wouldn't be a disaster. I'd eat the pinto beans and/or chili with kidney beans; just wouldn't buy any kidney beans. For my taste they just aren't good enough to spend money on, but I'm probably in the minority and can certainly understand others liking them.