Chili Con Carne

This picture of mom was taken in Hillsboro on the steps of "Tom Ling's cafe where she worked. She was so thrilled to sit on those steps again.
One of the wonderful unique recipes Mom taught me was her very delicious Chili Con Carne. She would use only Gebhardt's chili powder, any chili powder is okay, but just okay not perfect and just like the Butterball turkey any other brand was not acceptable for HER cooking.


She told me a story of when she was working in a cafe in Hillsboro for Tom Ling. She and one of the Cunningham girls were making chili con carne for their own lunch one day when the owner Tom Ling came in. Tom Ling had a small command of the English language is seems so when he found them cooking in his kitchen. Mom said he told them "You G**damn girls get out my kitchen. I show you G**damn girls how cook chiwe con cowny" any way that's how mom said he talked! So I don't know if the recipe was from Tom Ling or a "Pearl Original"


Chili Con Carne:

• a couple of pounds of lean ground beef chopped onions (more for my family less for others)
• a Tbsp of flour
• a clove or two minced garlic (again more for me)
• 1 can whole of crushed tomatoes (mom hated stewed tomatoes)
• a couple of tablespoons of Gebhardt chili powder ( taste it to figure out how much)
• salt
• cumin and oregano

Brown meat with onion and garlic. Add flour to browned meat, if you don't have any fat cooked out of the meat add some oil, just enough to absorb flour. Stir in flour and brown just a little more. Add tomatoes, (if whole smash them with your fingers like mom did). Add about a cup of water, you might need more if it thickens too much. In a cup mix chili powder slowly with water to make about half a cup. Add this mixture to the meat mixture. Salt and spices to your taste. Cook as fast or as slow as you desire or depending on time you have until Daddy comes home for supper! Measurements are not precise, you gotta figure it out for yourself. Practice makes perfect!!