My Dad’s chili was legendary. He made it at least once a month when I was growing up and was so happy in the kitchen when he was concocting his masterpiece that he almost glowed from within. He knew we loved it and he loved to please us. Dad’s chili, aptly named Frank’s Chili, used ground beef, eschewed beans and was thick, meaty and robust but not really spicy; it had a very subtle kick from his not-so-secret ingredient: a surprisingly large amount of white pepper. It’s a rich, red meat stew.
I have stories and memories plus step-by-step pictures to share, but first, Dad’s recipe, edited slightly for clarity.
Frank’s Chili
Ingredients
Instructions
- Cook the 3 lbs. ground beef in a large stew pot over medium heat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon or spatula as it cooks. When no pink remains, drain the fat and set the meat aside.
- Return the pot to medium heat and add 1 tbsp vegetable oil, 1 diced onion and the diced bell pepper. Sauté for about 5 minutes, until softened.
- Add the 2 cups water, 12 oz. beer, Rotel tomatoes and green chiles, 14 oz. tomato sauce, 3 tbsp chili powder, ½ tbsp garlic powder, 1 tbsp white pepper, ½ tbsp ground cumin and ½ tbsp dried oregano. Stir well and simmer for 15–20 minutes.
- Return the drained beef to the pot and simmer for another 30–45 minutes.
- In a small bowl, stir the 2 tbsp masa harina into ¼ cup warm water until smooth. Add the mixture to the chili and stir well. Simmer for at least 10 minutes more, stirring frequently so the thickening chili does not stick.
- Taste and add salt if desired. Remove from the heat and serve with diced onion, grated cheese and any other desired garnishes.
Notes
- Beer choice: Dad used a light beer; we prefer a darker beer.
- White pepper: 1 tbsp sounds like a lot, but it is Frank’s not-so-secret ingredient and gives the chili its distinctive subtle kick.
- Masa harina: mixing it with warm water before adding it helps it incorporate smoothly and thicken the chili evenly.
- Garnishes: diced onion and grated cheese were Dad’s must-haves. Jalapeños, cilantro, pico de gallo, avocado, sour cream and hot sauce are all good additions.
- Serving ideas: cornbread is the classic partner, but saltines work just fine. A simple green salad is also a good side because the chili is the star.
- About the servings: Dad’s chili serves about 8 normal people, assuming nobody helps himself to three servings before everyone else gets to the pot – see story here.
Serving Suggestions
Cornbread (spicy with cheese or regular) is a classic side dish for Frank’s Chili, and the Serrano Ham Corn Pudding you’ll find here in the blog is a dressed up version. If you don’t have time to make cornbread, saltines are a fine starchy accompaniment. A simple green salad is also a good side, but don’t make anything big or fancy, because the chili is the star here. It is Class A Certified Comfort Food. For adult beverages, try a light red wine or the same beer that you used in the chili.
Join Us in the Kitchen to Make Frank’s Chili
Frank’s Chili is not only delicious, it is EASY to make. Thanks, Dad!
The Backstory
Although I loved Dad’s chili, I created my own recipe, and I daresay that like Dad, I glow a little when I make it. I know my family loves it and I love to please them. My Glover Gardens Chili is totally different from Dad’s, much spicier from the heat of several kinds of fresh chiles but no chili powder, and much healthier (sorry, Dad!) from the addition of three kinds of beans. Chili was one of the first recipes I shared here in the blog, waaaaaay back in 2015.
Dad’s comment on that post (below) is so precious to me now that he’s gone.
Waxing Nostalgic with Noemi in Colorado
Even after that wonderful exchange, Dad’s chili didn’t make it onto our table or into the blog – until now, almost 9 years later. Here’s how it came about.
During our recent Colorado trip to Little House in the Rockies, my Bonus Sister Noemi and I sat on the front porch in the mornings and the back porch in the evenings, watching chipmunks and birds and waxing nostalgic about the family. (The Grill-Meister was with us for the first few days, but had to fly back home for work a few days ahead of us.)
Noemi came into my life over 30 years ago when she married my brother Steve, and had her own great memories of Frank’s chili, and of the man himself. Their father-in-law / daughter-in-law relationship was stellar, the best I’ve ever seen, based on mutual respect, trust and endless two-way teasing. After Dad died in 2017, I created a memorial slideshow and noticed that in almost all pics of family dinners, Noemi and Dad always seemed to sit next to each other, and they were always laughing. Their smiles make me smile.
We had some really great times back in those days (mostly the 1990s), converging with our families for holidays and vacations at the beach house where my brother and I grew up and my parents still lived on the Texas Coast. Noemi and I stayed up late during our Labor Day 2024 Colorado trip telling “remember that time” stories about those long-ago days. Mom (d. 2000), Dad (d. 2017) and Steve (d. 2013) are all gone now, but we’ve kept them alive in our hearts (along with many other lost ones) and it is such a blessing to me that I have Noemi as a fellow memory-keeper. The memories definitely include the meals we shared together, and the recipes still bind us tightly to those precious times.
Don’t Eat All the Chili!
Going back to pre-Noemi days, I’d like to share a chili-related incident during my high school years when a new boyfriend came to my house for dinner with the family. Dad’s chili was the main course and unfortunately, my still-growing and ravenous younger brother Steve was first in line for chow… he ladled out about three servings into his overly large bowl and there wasn’t enough left for the rest of us! (This is the kid who once ate 5 hamburgers.) Adjustments to his serving had to be made (give-backs), and we teased Steve relentlessly about this for the rest of his life, especially at family meals: “Don’t eat all the chili!” Noemi picked up the teasing once she joined the family, and “don’t eat all the chili” remains an admonishment for greedily serving yourself first and a fond reminder of Mom, Dad, Steve, and those halcyon days by the water.
It Was Time to Make Dad’s Recipe
With all that nostalgia and a burning desire to taste that wonderful chili again, it was clear that it was time for Noemi and me to make the chili. We decided to do it, right there in Colorado, as the leaves were beginning to turn and the memories, laughter and tears flowed like the wine we were drinking.
We got the recipe from my parents’ cookbook via text from The Grill-Meister, and made Frank’s Chili just as he did.
The resulting dish was so perfectly reminiscent of Dad and those days at the beach we all had together that we were both teary-eyed from the taste memories. I’m so very, very glad we made Frank’s Chili together—and it won’t be the last time. It’s really good!
We froze the chili leftovers and brought them back to Texas, and that’s what I had for dinner tonight… much to my delight. I did a quick photo shoot before diving in. I know Dad would be proud.
That’s Dad and me, on the familiar front deck at the beach house, in 2001. Hurricane Ike took the house—and the whole town of Gilchrist—in 2008, but the memories can never be erased.
RIP, Dad. You were the best.
© 2024, Glover Gardens
Looks fabulous! Our like button is acting funny again, but we LIKE it! 👍
thank you, I can feel the liking!