dallashistory

My memory is that someone, Fred Ragsdale or Joe King or Ronnie, commented on the often published chili recipe by Lady Bird Johnson when a version including beans was published. I believe the comment was on this message board or maybe the old board. "Say it ain't so," the writer said. I looked brieflyfor that post and did not find it. Maybe it was on a roadfood.com discussion of chili.

Actually, that recipe has been published in versions with and without beans. I've read that LBJ's office used to send copies to people who requested it. I wonder if anyone on this board has ever seen one of those recipe cards?

Those of you in Dallas especially have probably already seen what I am about to post. From the 27th of October the DMN on line has displayed another version of the Pedernales Chili and this one is beanless, has no added fat, and is mildly seasoned as well. The current newspaper writer admits as much.

I would also comment that my memory is that the very first published version of this recipe called for the use of venison to reduce the fat content. It dates to the time after LBJ's heart attack.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent ... 7769d.html

Chili with a Pedernales pedigree
09:32 AM CDT on Monday, October 27, 2008
Dallas Morning News staff
In the pantheon of Texas cooking, certain recipes have something beyond staying power. They're recipes that continue to captivate, year after year and, in many cases, decade after decade.

EVANS CAGLAGE/DMN
The popular Pedernales River Chili recipe from Lady Bird Johnson is rather mild.
The funny thing is, you may think everybody has these recipes. But whenever we publish one, it suddenly seems nobody has them. We're besieged with requests for copies.
So try this legendary classic, LBJ's Pedernales River Chili. This version (credited to Mrs. Lyndon B. Johnson) is from Lone Star Legacy , a cookbook put out by the Austin Junior Forum in 1981.
However, when we cooked up a batch of this chili, it was disappointingly tame. Take Mrs. Johnson's advice to use "more if needed" on the chili powder, which turned out to be double the amount in our pot.
LBJ'S PEDERNALES RIVER CHILI
4 pounds chili meat (see note)

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon oregano, ground

1 teaspoon cumin seed

6 teaspoons chili powder (or more, if needed)

1 ½ cups canned whole tomatoes

2 to 6 generous dashes liquid hot sauce

Salt to taste

2 cups hot water

Place meat, onion and garlic in large, heavy fry pan or Dutch oven. Cook until light-colored. Add oregano, cumin seed, chili powder, tomatoes, hot sauce, salt and hot water.
Also Online
More chili recipes
Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer about 1 hour. Skim fat during cooking. Makes 8 to 10 servings.
Note: Chili meat is coarsely ground round steak or well-trimmed chuck. If specially ground, ask butcher to use ¾ -inch plate for coarse grind.
To bump this recipe to a medium heat, try substituting these amounts: 1 tablespoon oregano; 1 tablespoon cumin; and 1/2 cup chili powder. Also, add 2 teaspoons garlic powder.
PER SERVING: Calories 273 (29% fat) Fat 9 g (3 g sat) Chol 104 mg Sodium 279 mg Fiber 1 g Carbohydrates 4 g Protein 45 g
SOURCE: Austin Junior Forum's Lone Star Legacy: A Texas Cookbook

Thanks, Bill! Sounds good!

Though we tend to like highly seasoned foods I know many whose stomachs or doctors or even allergies forbid certain indulgences so it is nice to have both recipe recommendations.

It is also extremely yummy nice--for the sake of variety--to have chili that is with or without beans, with chicken or beef or veal.

Variety is definitely the spice of life when it comes to eating--favorites aside.

I think she might have ment 6 tablespoons of chili powder for four lbs. of meat.

I had a book in the mid 70s that had the Pedernales recipe and many others. Hmmm, what happened to that book? It might have been the first Texas chili cookbook? It was the only one I knew of back then.
Joe

Use Rotel Tomatoes and Chiles for the canned tomatoes - that will help. And about double the liquid hot sauce (which needs to be McIlhenny's)

Clyde, I am known to put Rotel in almost anything. Good idea for this chili!
Joe

Tell me why I am just reading this? I saved that recipe at work, when the DMN e-mailed me their "Recipe of the Day." I love chili with beans, or without. I can eat it with beef, turkey, or with tempeh. Also, I can eat it home made, or from a can. I asume you can say that I love chili in any form!

In a coincidence, John Finley commented on the Pedernales Chili recipe.

I say coincidence because I went to (another) used book sale recently and found a "Presidents' Own" White House Cookbook by compiled by a Robert Jones. It is a paperback dated 1973 and covers PsOTUS through the thirty-seventh.

It has another version of the LBJ chili. This one has the same pusillaminous seasoning as the one I posted above, but lacks the "use more (chile powder) if necessary " that the 2008 DMN writer had the grace to include, and no beans and beef again. Well, Sainted Shanghai Jimmy made a chili that was not highly seasoned, at least not with chili pepper.

If accurate, this is about the closest (date wise) to the original LBJ recipe as I have seen. I do hope some one turns up with one of the recipe cards that LBJs office used to give, with venison and maybe more seasoning.

There have been several "White House" cook books and I may live long enough to see more still. This one has a recipe that has always looked good to me - Dwight Eisenhower's beef vegetable soup. Eisenhower was said to have been an experienced homestyle cook and, at the start of his career, was said to have been harder on non producing army mess halls than many young officers.

Also of interest are the President Buchanon's pork, saurkraut, mashed potato and dumplings dinner that may not have been served at the White House and the Ozark Pudding from Bess (Mrs. Harry) Truman.