So there's this nondescript box I used to see all the time in American grocery stores, but never actually picked up or looked at up close. I rarely make chili, and usually when I have I bought canned or just used my own spices, though I had a soft spot for French's as long as I jazzed it up a bit.
But I got a hankering for some chili a little more high effort than Hormel in a can, and went looking for chili seasoning mixes on Instacart when I noticed this one and for once actually looked closer at the name.
Carroll Shelby.
I immediately remembered the name because I am a huge racing game nerd but I had to look it up and confirm that yes, it is that Carroll Shelby. The absolutely legendary racing driver and automotive designer who built the Cobra, the Daytona, and the GT500.
That guy.
Apparently he loved chili so much he made his own damn chili mix, and to be honest, it is impressively not bullshit. It is a solid chili recipe, made entirely without preservatives. Just chilis, spices, cayenne, and masa flour. That's it.
What's neat is too, he designed the kit to be flexible. The main seasoning, the masa, and the cayenne, each come in their own individual packages, so you can customize them as you like. The instructions too, are designed to give you options. Tomato, no tomato, beans, no beans, spicy, not spicy, thicker or soupier, veggies, whatever. It is indeed trying to be a kit, and not just "throw this in meat and water and done".
I made the full works of course, with some diced onion, Rotel, and beans, and added very little else. Just some extra salt, pepper, and gochugaru to the ground meat to season it, and a little Worcestershire and beef boullion for extra umami. It is honestly decent chili. Could stand to be a little hotter maybe, if you like a spicier chili you might wanna kick it up with some added heat, but for tonight I just wanted something warm and hearty since the furnace is out again.
Maybe won't impress Texas, but Texas and chili is like Italians and pasta, you're never gonna win the argument because they can't even win it among themselves. I'm happy with my race car chili.