In your mind, what are the dead-minimum ingredients to make something that you can, in good conscience, call "chili"?
For me, it is:
At least two of the following three: ground meat, beans, tomatoes.
Cumin
Oregano
Black pepper
Some form of salt (even if it is added as part of another ingredient, like if you had a hot sauce with a lot of salt in it.)
And that's it. I would feel okay with calling that "chili", even if it wouldn't be very good.
I assume others would have other definitions. For instance, I suspect that the lack of any chiles in this chili might strike some as a definitional problem. Nonetheless, that's my list.
How about you?
For me, it is:
At least two of the following three: ground meat, beans, tomatoes.
Cumin
Oregano
Black pepper
Some form of salt (even if it is added as part of another ingredient, like if you had a hot sauce with a lot of salt in it.)
And that's it. I would feel okay with calling that "chili", even if it wouldn't be very good.
I assume others would have other definitions. For instance, I suspect that the lack of any chiles in this chili might strike some as a definitional problem. Nonetheless, that's my list.
How about you?