Gordon Loc: Charleston South Carolina

That's why some people put potatoes in Frogmore Stew. A filler to make it go around.

Robert J Samples Loc: Round Rock, Texas

All Chili afecianados: let me explain the reason for salting crackers and catsup. The base for chili is almost like catsup if you didn't put in the meat and spices, so that's a personal prefernce. Saltine crackers, rice, macaroni are all fillers, or extenders to make the chili go further. I was grown before I learned you did not add a can of water after you emptied the can of Wolf Brand Chili. My mother did this simply to add volume so there would be enough to go around. If the U.S. had royalty, or in its place a super wealthy family with a cook and all, I doubt they would be serving chili, but poor folks know a good taste at a low price. Just sayin...RJS

Kerry Hansen Loc: Bremerton, WA

Like adding chili to a hotdog, what is a Chili Dog without the Chili.

ranger632 Loc: Near Yosemite Park Ca.

Now that is good also

Scudrnr Loc: Hancock, Wisconsin

I grew up with chili with beans but no catsup or crackers. We used to break up a couple slices of bread to stretch it.

DCGravity Loc: Fairfax, VA (by way of Cleveland OH)

RJS - yes, it's that time if year that I'm already gathering ingredients in my head for the first pot of chili of the season. Your post is a real encouragement. We favor the NM style chili with reconstituted chili meats of ancho, hatch and chipotle plus lots and lots of cilantro. The ketchup idea is new to me. I wasn't aware of it as an ingredient in TX chili until your mention of it. I grew up adding fritos rather than saltines for the added texture, so that's an automatic "garnish" when I make a pot.

Robert J Samples Loc: Round Rock, Texas

Perhaps You have never noticed but before universal refrigeration, chile would be sold in 'bricks' and had to be heated up to melt the mass. On top would be about i/4 inch of red fat, or grease! So when you heated this brick up, the red grease would melt into the mass. This is where adding crackers and catsup comes in. Crakers soak up the red grease, and the catsup is about halfway to the liquid side of chili anyway. So by adding both, you are just extending the volume without changing it at all. I can see the use of macaroni or rice, they are just extenders
, like beans when you need enough to feed all your family.

Not to worry, we don't Barbaque the old fashion way, either. Mexicans of both sides of the border will take an entire half of a beef,wrap in it in burlap and had a pit dug intot the ground and that full of red hot coals. They put the beef on that and rthen cover all with a layer of dirt and allow it to slow cook for hours. Even the toughest steer meet will be juicy, tender, and absolutely delicious! Seldom do folks take that much time to get BBQ today, just like I've abbreviated the name, we want it quick! And by demanding quick, we sacrafice some of the good!
Just Sayin...RJS