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Chili in a Pinch

By Jenn Garbee

3

Bowl of Chili Brick with onions

It’s chili season, and yet when it’s 95 in the shade, the idea of actually making homemade chili sounds too hot and bothersome. East Los Angeles producer Dolores Canning comes to the rescue with its “chili brick,” a real bargain that slides in at less than $1 a bowl.  No, it’s not the same as homemade, but this frozen, spicy, all-meat chili concentrate is worlds apart from canned. It’s also the secret weapon at many Los Angeles area hot dog and burger stands, and Philippe the Original has been serving up bowls of the stuff for decades. Just add water — or, as we prefer to do, doctor it up with beef stock, beans, fresh peppers and diced onions.

The 20-ounce bricks (enough for about four bowls, or ten hot dog toppings) are available at many Albertson’s, Bristol Farms and Ralph’s, either frozen or thawed in the meat section, for about $4.

A six-pack of the frozen bricks can also be ordered directly from Dolores online,  for $20 plus shipping, and the five-pound party size is available frozen at most Smart & Final stores for just $10.

Dolores Canning Company
East Los Angeles (factory is not open to the public), dolorescanning.com

3 Responses for “Chili in a Pinch”

1. Jack says:

   July 21, 2009 at 8:33 pm

   Hello Nice Blog!

   I tasted Dolores Chili And thought it had an alright taste!

   BUT!!!………. I was Shocked when I looked at the ingredient list! “Beef Hearts”!!……… Whats that about? Yuck! Save your money! Everyone! Save your money! Who know what else is in it?????

   Reply
   • Jenn Garbee says:

     July 24, 2009 at 11:35 am

     Hi Jack-
     Thanks! And yes, it has beef hearts. It is a surprising ingredient, perhaps, but not uncommon in chili or other historic cowboy trail foods back when everything went into the pot. We eat liver (foie gras), intestines in menudo, who knows what in commercial hot dogs – why not hearts? This is an old family recipe that the Muñoz family has been making for decades. I actually found it quite a nice addition – I couldn’t taste it, but it gave the chili a nice texture. And I am all for using the whole hog, as they say. Waste not!

     Reply
2. Skylar says:

   July 24, 2009 at 11:28 am

   Hey, hearts are a perfectly respectable thing to cook with. It’s responsible to use everything, so if it tastes good, I personally wouldn’t care.

   Reply

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