Shorter is the list of things I won’t put in Chili, scratch that - I’ll try anything.
The stuff I sell at work is pretty boring - ground beef, onion, canned tomato, Red kidney beans, a bit of tomato paste, Fresh jalapeno, garlic, bell pepper, cumin, chili powder, cayenne, crushed red pepper, kosher salt and the very tiniest touch of cinnamon (if it’s detectable it’s too much).
I knew a guy in Providence who had a customer die on him because he put peanut butter in his Chili. she was allergic and didn’t expect it. I’ve tried it - it was OK but nothing I’d do every time.
For personal consumption anything goes. Usually cubed beef or pork, browned in an iron skillet. bacon is good (diced up) if the meat is too lean to render out enough fat to sautee the onions and fresh chiles. Between fresh and dried chiles there could be easily ten different kinds. with or without beans (usually black beans) roast corn or hominy make interesting add-ins. I like to serve it over rice that has a bit of diced cilantro added.
Backpack Chili - reconstituted diced beef jerky, dried beans and dried chilis. soak in a few dried tomatoes if you need it red.
Competition Chili - Diced sirloin, my dried chili mix(pounded in a pestle and reconstituted with the beef drippings) , onion, cumin garlic, kosher salt - nothin’ else.
Chili Verde with Tomatillos and cubed pork lion (no beans)
