Cleopatras Favorite Chasens Chili Food

CHILI.THE FAMOUS CHASEN'S RECIPE, LOVED BY LIZ.

CHILI.The FAMOUS CHASEN's RECIPE, LOVED by LIZ. image

It is a fact, Liz would order it frozen and shipped to her in Rome while she was filming CLEOPATRA! Shipping it cast $100.00 then. Jack Benny would order 12 quarts at a time. He and many other stars loved that chili. The famous CHASENS RESTAURANT was opened in 1936 and closed in 1995. IT Was host to many of the famous stars OF...

Provided by Nancy J. Patrykus

Time 4h

Number Of Ingredients 14

Ingredients

1/2 lb dried pinto beans
2=16 oz cans of crushed tomatoes
1 lb green bell peppers,.. cored, seeded and coarsley chopped
1-1 /2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1-1/2 lb onions, ...coarsley chopped
2 clove garlic, .... crushed
1/2 c parsley,.... finely chopped
1/2 c butter (1 stick)
2-1/2 lb chuck steak....cut into small pieces
1 lb lean pork.......cut into small pieces
1/2 c chili powder
2 tsp salt
1-1/2 tsp black pepper
1-1/2 tsp ground cumin

Steps:

1. Rinse beans.Place in a large bowl add enough water to cover them by 2 inches. Soak overnight. The next day place beans and soaking water in a large, heavy pot. Then simmer, covered, until tender, about40 minutes. Add tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes.
2. In a large skillet,over medium heat, saute green peppersin veg oil for 5 minutes. Add onions and cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 10 minutes..Add garlic and parsley. Remove from heat and pour into a large bowl.
3. In the same skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Brown the chuck and pork pieces, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.Stir in chili powder and reserved onion mixture.. Cook for 10 minutes. Add meat and onion mixture. Season with salt pepper and cumin. Simmer, covered, for 1 hour. Remove cover and cook 30 minutes longer. Skim any fat off the top. You could serve now. BUT Chasen would let it cool, then covered and put in the cooler...overnight,for the flavors to blend. Like we do spaghetti or stews, always better the next day!
4. *NOTE:Often Chasen would enter the restaurant to o versee the cooking, and then would add his "SECRET INGREDIENT"...1/2 cup of KAHLUA! Like some of us, add COCOA to our chili! **If you want to, use ground beef and pork. ***CREDITS:Liz picture from: VilliageVoice.com Spice picture:from: Cookslight.com CHASEN'S CHILI pic.from:dearoldhollywoodblogspot.com ..........Nancy...10/20/12

CHASEN'S ORIGINAL CHILI RECIPE

Chasen's Original Chili Recipe image

This is the stuff of which Hollywood legends are made. When Elizabeth Taylor was filming Cleopatra in Rome she craved the chili made at Chasen's Restaurant in Los Angeles so much that she was willing to pay $100 just to have the order shipped to her. For years the recipe remained a closely guarded secret. It was said the owner, David Chasen, came to the restaurant every Sunday to privately cook up a batch which he would freeze for the week, believing that the chili was best when reheated. Letter to Dave Chasen, owner of Chasen's Restaurant: "The chili is so good. All gone now. Please send me ten quarts of your wonderful chili in dry ice to 448 Via Appia pignatelli. - Love and kisses, Elizabeth Taylor." - Elizabeth Taylor, on location in Rome, 1962

Provided by Tionia

Categories Pork

Time 1h20m

Yield 10 Cups, 6 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 14

Ingredients

1/2 lb dry pinto beans
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 cups onions, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
1/2 cup butter
2 lbs beef chuck, coarsely chopped*
1 lb pork shoulder, coarsely chopped*
1/3 cup chili powder (Gebhardt's**)
1 tablespoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin (Framer Bros**)

Steps:

A secret ingredient added by a chef (after Dave Chasen stopped making the chili himself) is a quarter cup or 4 tablespoons of Kahlua liqueur. I heard someone won a chili championship with the recipe, including that addition.
*Chasen's used the best beef chuck, center cut, trimmed completely of fat. The restaurant used a special meat grinder, but for the home cook, meat chopped into one-quarter to one-half-inch chunks is much better than ground meat for this chili. Alternatively, ask the butcher to put the meat through a "chili plate" ONE time - this is a very coarse grind, and works well for chili.
** Chasen's used Gebhardt's Chili Powder and Farmer Bros Cumin. Sometimes cumin seed is used in place of the ground cumin. It's a matter of personal preference. You might toast the seeds in a dry skillet, and crush them before adding to the recipe.
Rinse the beans, picking out debris. Place beans in a Dutch oven with water to cover 2' above beans. Boil for two minutes. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand one hour. Drain off liquid.
Rinse beans again. Add enough fresh water to cover beans. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered, for one hour or until tender.
Stir in tomatoes and their juice. Simmer five minutes. In a large skillet, sauté bell pepper in oil for five minutes. Add onion and cook until tender, stirring frequently. Stir in the garlic and parsley. Add mixture to bean mixture. Using the same skillet, melt the butter and sauté beef and pork chuck until browned. Drain. Add to bean mixture along with the chili powder, salt, pepper and cumin.
Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for one hour. Uncover and cook 30 minutes more or to desired consistency. Chili shouldn't be too thick - it should be somewhat liquid but not runny like soup. Skim of excess fat and serve.
NOTE: You can freeze this chili for several months. When reheating refrigerated leftover or frozen chili, add a few tablespoons of water to regain proper consistency.

CHASEN'S CHILI (HOLLYWOOD NOSTALGIA RECIPE)

Chasen's Chili (Hollywood Nostalgia Recipe) image

This delicious, long-kept-a-secret, recipe represents a bit of old Hollywood history. Dave Chasen started his restaurant in 1937 as a BBQ shack that featured ribs and chili. His business evolved into one of Hollywood's most famous resturants. It featured American cuisine. By 1940, his famous chili was dropped off the menu but was available if one asked for it; however Dave kept his recipe a dark secret. Eleanor Roosevelt asked for the recipe and was told "no", however Dave sent her a complimentary order. Liz Taylor had an order of his chili flown to her in Rome when she was there making Cleopatra. Before the restaurant closed in 1995, the secret recipe and other memorabilia was given to the Los Angeles Public Library. The recipe is available in the archives of the main library, located in downtown Los Angeles. After the restaurant closed, the building was sold. The building is now occupied by a grocery store, which has a cafe in the store. Some of the old booths are still there along with photos and memoribilia on the walls. They serve Chasens chili; and the store caters to a celebrity clientel.

Provided by lynnski LA

Categories Beans

Time 2h

Yield 12 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 14

Ingredients

1/2 lb dried pinto bean
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juice
2 tablespoons oil
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
3 cups onions, coarsley chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
2 lbs center cut beef chuck, trimmed of fat, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
1 lb pork shoulder, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
1/3 cup gebhardt chili powder
1 tablespoon salt
black pepper, to taste
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

Steps:

Cook dry beans according to package directions.
Stir the tomatoes with juice into the cooked beans, and simmer 5 minutes over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.
Heat the oil in a large skillet and saute the bell pepper for 5 minutes.
Add the onion, reduce the heat to low, and cook about 15 minutes until tender, stirring frequently.
Stir in the garlic and parsley; add this mixture to the beans.
Using the same skillet, melt the butter and saute the beef and pork, in two batches, if necessary, until browned. Drain.
Add meat to the bean mixture along with the chili powder, salt, pepper to taste and cumin.
Simmer mixture, covered, for about an hour.
Uncover and cook to the desired consistency, about 5 minutes.
The chili should not be too thick.
Skim off excess fat and serve.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 485.9, Fat 32.6, SaturatedFat 13.7, Cholesterol 99.3, Sodium 889.4, Carbohydrate 23.1, Fiber 6, Sugar 5.2, Protein 26.1