If you are without a chili recipe for Cinco de Mayo on May 5, 2014, here are the basic chili recipe variations with which to experiment:
Meat (variations change the basic character of the Chili):
Ground Chuck
Ground Sirloin
Chuck, Sirloin, or Rump Roast (slow cooked and shredded with a fork)
Onions and Tomatoes (variations change the texture, consistency and flavor):
Fresh chopped (adds texture and moisture)
Sauce (adds moisture and helps blend flavors)
Paste (good to use if you are not going to use a thickener)
Stewed (adds texture, little moister)
Onions (can provide a distinctiveness to your chili, depending on type of onion used, how finely chopped, cooked or raw when added to the pot)
Spices:
Chili (either powder or dried red chili peppers finely chopped)
Garlic (Fresh, powder, chopped in a store bought jar can change consistency and aroma)
Cumin (Helps blend the different flavors while adding a muted flavor of its own)
Salt (Use, not use, sea salt, kosher, or standard table)
Very small amounts of parsley, oregano, basil, green chilis can be used to tweak the overall flavor and aroma.
Hotness:
Fresh habenero, jalapeno, tobasco or habanero sauce can be used to set the level of your 0-5 alarm chili.
Other elements:
Beer (helps bring down an accidently overspiced pot)
Thickeners: Corn starch, corn flour, (crunched up taco shells can even be used).
Beans (If you really want to upset chili traditionalists)