From: em_gumby	Date: October 19th, 2008 07:59 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Mushrooms - nay if you are going to use strongly flavored meats, yay if you are going to use less strongly flavored ones.

Multiple meats - yay. May I suggest a mixture of 1/3 each venison, antelope, and boar (or pork if you can't get boar)? (Chili was originally made with game meats). Bear meat gives a very strong flavor, but is hard to find - at least here.

Deglaze liquid - I don't use either beer or red wine, but I suspect that red wine would go well if you use some of the gamier meats (venison, buffalo, antelope, boar) and not so well if you use beef or pork.

	From: banchomarba1	Date: October 19th, 2008 08:07 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Multiple meats yes.
And I do a version that is just chicken or turkey- I use white beans, etc, and call it pale chili. Very good for using curry flavors for undertones. I also recycle meatloaf and meat balls in chili. We budget, OK? So sue me.

I find that if I am making a batch for long term eating( several days in the fridge or to freeze some), mushrooms take on a wacky texture. However- I do use mushrooms to bulk up instead of meat. I solve the texture problem by mincing them finely.

Deglaze- I try not to use beer as I don't like the flavor with anything other than sausages. I have used wine, lime juice and water, ginger ale, tomato juice/V8, and apple juice/cider.

BTW- I take leftover/frozen/thawed chili and put it in a shallow dish, then make cornbread batter and put it on top. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes and you have chili pot pie. Also- our fave accompaniment w/chili is Fritoes.

	From: maddrjeffe	Date: October 19th, 2008 08:28 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Multiple meats Yea.

Try some nice lamb, or even awesome of awesome venison or if you know how to get a hold of it bear. Buffalo and Ostrich are very lean meats, and will need a little more fat to cook well but also good. Beef Pork Veal are used a lot down south for chili (beef and pork mixes especially)

Yes using red wine to deglaze is insane.

Splurge on a six-pack of good Boch beer drink like 4 of them and use the rest for the chili.

Baby Portabellos? Hmmm yea and nay!

	From: cmdr_zoom	Date: October 19th, 2008 08:32 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Mushrooms: I'm a fan, so I'd say yay. Know your audience, though.

Multiple meats: Not something I'd really considered (except maybe "beef + chicken"), but it sounds tasty, so yay.

Deglaze: Sorry, I don't have enough experience/context to offer an opinion.

	From: anarchangel23	Date: October 19th, 2008 08:34 pm (UTC)		(Link)

I used red wine last night and it was yah-may!

	From: tth	Date: October 19th, 2008 09:25 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Hello:

The food network has over 50 different versions of this dish. A.B. provides different versions and the different methods of making it. You might want to take a look for additional options

Good Luck!

K

	From: taschoene	Date: October 19th, 2008 09:30 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Mushrooms don't strike me as a good idea in chili -- the texture will go off really fast and the flavors are all wrong. There's a reason chili makers traditionally use beans as their cheap filler incredient.

Multiple meats -- of course. Meatloaf mix is the fleshy equivalent of mirepoix and just as versatile. My only complaint is that it's usually ground too fine -- if I could get coarse-ground meatloaf mix, I'd be in heaven. (Of course, I prefer diced meat for chili anyway, but that's a separate argument.)

Exotic meat -- sure, but if you go there, the meat is your star, so don't muddy the waters by using multiple kinds of meat. And back off on the spices a bit too. There's no point in splashing out for venison only to find you can't tell the difference from beef because the chili is taking center stage.

Deglazing liquid -- you could use wine, but why bother? Wine's strength is depth of flavor, which will be obliterated by the chili spices. Save it for a stew where the wine flavor can come to the fore. If you don't want to use beer, try apple cider (hard or not) or stock. Cider would probably work better if your meat is something "whiter" than beef.

	From: allura	Date: October 19th, 2008 10:33 pm (UTC)		(Link)

I just made chili today.

It's yummy.

	From: ysabetwordsmith	Date: October 19th, 2008 11:53 pm (UTC)		(Link)
	Feedback

1) I and my guinea pigs were extremely pleased with the use of baby portobellos in my spaghetti sauce.

2) I only made one meat sauce this season, and I used 2 lbs of ground venison. My partner declared it the best of the several batches made.

3) Not a step I use, sorry.

	From: bittergrrl	Date: October 20th, 2008 12:30 am (UTC)		(Link)

Re: wine. I have a recipe that calls for wine and it's really tasty. I would recommend it.

	From: corwynj	Date: October 20th, 2008 02:36 am (UTC)		(Link)

Strong deglazin' liquids like Red Wine need strong meats.

Mushrooms are good in general but will be ToTALLY lost in a strong chili. (Strong Chili: heavy and balanced use of spice, game meats, red wine, garlic, etc., etc....)

Remember to balance you fats and acids.

Red wine is ok!!!

	From: grayalynn	Date: October 20th, 2008 07:08 pm (UTC)		(Link)

I will not go so far as to say that mushrooms in chili are an abomination....but its getting close.

A variety of meats is good simply for the fat: flavor ratio, in the meatloaf variety. But often I just go with hamburger.

I would use stock, nothing else seems like it would sit right with chili to me.

	From: whswhs	Date: October 20th, 2008 07:18 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Mushroom in chili sounds like a total clash of flavor principles.

As to meats, I never use conventional ground beef, or even sirloin. Mostly these days I used ground turkey. If I want beef, though, I'll buy the kind of beef strips you get for stirfry and cook them. Grass fed if possible. I don't see a need to mix different meats; I like the flavor of each meat singly and don't want to blur it.

	From: heldc	Date: October 20th, 2008 07:42 pm (UTC)		(Link)

I love mushrooms, and have never not liked mushrooms in any dish they were in.
Multiple meats could be very interesting.
Deglazing, I've got nothing.

	From: alycewilson	Date: October 21st, 2008 04:20 am (UTC)		(Link)

I love mushrooms in chili; I think they add a nice texture.

I can't speak to the multiple meats, though. I don't eat beef, pork or veal!