The First Great Chili Cook-Off

On the eve of Taichung's Second Annual Chili Cook-Off, let us look at another cook-off, the Terlingua International Chili Championship. This one really cemented chili as a national dish, not just Texan, and gave birth to the aforementioned cook-off while helping to popularize others.

The year was 1967 and a New York humorist, H. Allen Smith, and Wick Fowler, a Texas reporter and chili entrepreneur, competed in Terlingua in the inaugural Chili Smackdown. Smith had written an article in Holiday Magazine, Nobody Knows More About Chili Than I Do, which pretty much set off a storm and resulted in the contest. The result was a tie. Rather than retell the story, let's look at their recipes and judge them.

Both Fowler's and Smith's recipes can be found here. However, even though the author states that Smith's directions are in his own words, his words are incomplete. It is necessary to read his complete directions to properly judge. For those who don't have the time to link and read, I will provide a summary of their differences.

Beef - Fowler: "chili-grind" beef. Smith: coarsely ground chuck. Advantage: Smith because I don't know what cut Fowler is using or how coarse "chili-grind"is.

Oregano, Onion, Garlic, Cumin - Pretty much the same. Push.

Chile - Smith: 3 tablespoons New Mexico chile powder. Good call on the N.M. but pretty stingy for 3lbs. of beef. Fowler: 3 tablespoons chile powder, 12 or more dried Japanese chiles and 6 to 8 chilipiquins. Advantage: Fowler in a rout.

Liquid - Fowler: water as needed. Smith: 1 qt. of water. Advantage: Fowler. While it's not bourbon, at least he's not making soup like Smith.

Tomatoes - Smith: 2 cans of tomato paste or sauce. Fowler: 1 cup canned tomato sauce. Push: Fowler can't win this one by using less of something that shouldn't be there ( see note 1 and remember it's not spicy Prego being made here).

Basil - Smith: a couple of pinches of sweet basil ( see complete directions above ). Fowler: none. Advantage: Fowler. Refer to previous item.

Thickener - Fowler: flour ( though I believe it is actually masa, as that is what is in his chili packs and Smith even accused him of adding "corn meal"). Smith: None stated, but see below. Advantage: Fowler.

Beans - Smith: 2 cans kidney or pinto beans. Probably used to thicken up the soup he's making. Jesus wept. Fowler: none. Advantage: Fowler, by all that is holy.

Note 1 - From New Mexico Congressman Manuel Lujan's 1984 House Joint Resolution 465--the so-called "Chili Bill,"...whereas chili is a succulent, distinctive blending of meats and spices...". I do not believe that either tomatoes or beans can be construed as spices.

Note 2 - Fowler and Smith had one thing in common. They both knew chili was about meat. Take out the meat and there's no chili. No such thing as vegetarian chili. Call it something else. Milk removed from ice cream is sorbet, not lactose-free ice cream. Take out the chicken from coq au vin, add beef and you have a very good likeness of Beef Bourguignon.

Conclusion - Fowler has the better recipe, though I would not make it like he does. Go tomorrow and enjoy the chilis and other dishes that are brought.