I brought it all to a good boil and then shut off the heat. The residual heat managed to cook the beans more than enough by the time the chicken was done. Look at the brown on those birds. The breasts were marinated for about a day in Italian dressing.The cast iron grill in the cooking box gave them a nice browning. Then, the top down cooking kept the chicken nice and moist. We were pleasantly surprised at how evenly they cooked and how moist they were.

Well, thought I to myself, after an 18-hour day at least there is a can of Ranch Style beans I can open and scarve down before catching a few winks and greeting the dawn.

To my utter relief, I found two, count them TWO, polish sausage links that I had completely forgotten.  It’s chilly and a nice greasy sausage heated up in the microwave just really hits the spot after a day like today.

Here’s hoping you don’t have such a day any time soon, but still get a taste treat surprise anyway.

Cheers!

This is a recipe from Manual for Army Cooks – 1896. It tells a soldier how to go about making a one-person serving of chili. It doesn’t say, but I assume the flour that is called for is for dredging the meat prior to browning it. From the looks of it, it could be cooked in the old aluminum Boy Scouts mess kit I grew up with.

Interesting that it calls for rice. All the modern-day fussy spats over “pure” chili usually involve beans.

It doesn’t say if dried red chili pods were standard Army issue. By the way, if you go to squeezing cooked chilies with your hands, best be wearing some sort of gloves or you may live to regret it. It doesn’t take much contact to turn your hands into deadly weapons against soft tissue – eyes, mouth, nose and other things.

Dang, what time is it? That late? Nuts! I don’t have time to tell you one of Grandpa Cecil’s stories. I’ll post it soon though. That story just made me think of another.

Chili

1 beesteak (round)
1 Tbs. hot drippings
1 cup boiling water
2 tbs. rice
2 large dried red chile pods
1 cup boiling water
flour, salt, onion (optional)
” Cut steak into small pieces. Put in frying pan with hot drippings, cup of hot water and rice. Cover closely and cook slowly until tender. Remove seeds and parts of veins from chile pods. Cover with second cup of boiling water and let stand until cool. Then, squeeze pods in the hand until the water is think and red . . . This recipe is designed for the use of one ration of beef. It can can be cooked in a mess kit.”

Try these revisions

1/2 pound round steak

1 tbs. oil

1 cup boiling water
2 tbs. rice
2 large dried red chile pods or 1 tbs. chili powder
1 cup boiling water
flour for dredging
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 medium onion chopped (optional)
1 clove garlic

1. Dice round steak and dredge in flour.
2. Heat oil in skillet.
3. Smash and peel the garlic, put it in the oil and remove as it begins to brown.
4. Brown the meat
5. Add the onions and cook until transparent
6. Add the rice and seasonings, stir and coat with oil
7. Add the rice and boiling water, bring to a boil and reduce heat to low simmer
8. Cover and cook slowly until rice is cooked

Or – think of how interesting it is that the army went to all this trouble to tell men how to cook one serving of chili, open up a can of your favorite brand, heat it up and reflect on history.

Download PDF of New & Old Army Chili

For the salad:
1.5 cups whole-kernel corn
1 can red beans
1 can black beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can garbanzo beans
1 bunch green onions, chopped

Chili Dressing:
1/2 cup vinegar (your favorite)
2 tsps olive oil
2 tsps chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Texas 10-15 onion, chopped

Preparation

1. Open cans of beans, pour off liquid and rinse beans
2. In a large bowl combine salad ingredients.
3. In a small bowl whisk together dressing ingredients, toss with salad.
4. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving to allow flavorings to blend.

Download recipe as PDF file.
Sunset Ridge Corn & Bean Saladwith chili dressing