Eastern Kentucky Chili Buns

I just watched Hilah Johnson demonstrate her Dad's Texas chili recipe on "Hilah Cooking" and it's inspired me to share my chili recipe here.

Back around 1988 or 1989, Esquire Magazine published a short article about Kentucky Chili Buns. They're essentially chili dogs without the dog. The chili is packed into the hotdog bun. It was served out of big pots in pool halls in Eastern Kentucky. The "rumor" that Esquirementioned in the recipe is that, on occasion, some pool chalk would make it into the chili pot.

I copied the recipe as best I could and it's been bumping around my computers ever since. We've served this at office parties and tailgates; as is or used as topping on burgers and hot dogs. See if you like it.

ESQUIRE CHILI

Ingredients:

1 quart cheap beer
7 pounds ground beef
1 pound ground pork
3 teaspoons salt
2 cloves minced garlic
3 good-size onions, chopped fine
1 medium-size white onion, chopped fine
Hot dog buns
Bright-yellow mustard (optional)
10 tablespoons chili powder (or chili powder recipe below)
Tabasco sauce (optional)

A few hours before you cook, open the beer and let it go flat. Put meat in large, unheated kettle. Mix beef and pork together, breaking the meat apart lightly as you do. Don't compress meat with your fingers. Sprinkle meat with 3 teaspoons salt, 2 cloves minced garlic, and 3 good-size onions chopped fine. Pour flat beer over mixture. Put in your hands and mix lightly, but thoroughly, not compacting meat. Stir mixture over high heat until it boils. Turn heat to medium-low and let the contents cook slowly for 1-1/2 hours, uncovered. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.

Sprinkle chili powder over the top. Turn heat down very low and let the powder seep in. Heat buns. Chop medium white onion in fine pieces. Turn heat up fairly high on chili and cook for 10 minutes, stirring constantly, keeping mix from sticking and mixing powder in thoroughly. Chili should be juicy, but not soupy.

Sprinkle some chopped onion down the center of each bun, enough so there will be a piece in every bite. Bright-yellow mustard is optional, to be painted sparingly on interiors of buns. Pack chili in tightly, not like a sloppy joe: pack and smooth it with the back of a spoon. Build up and out to the ends of the bun from there, packing until the bun is tightly and compactly filled and can be held easily.

Eat in heartburn-producing quantities with mellow, straight-forward, sturdy brand of beer (not dark or lite).

Chili powder:

Pop in a blender 5 tablespoons hot, crushed Mexican or New Mexican (not Italian) chili peppers, 3 tablespoons cumin, 1 tablespoon dried leaf coriander, and 3 cloves garlic. Whir briefly until garlic is pulverized and everything is mixed.