For your Oscars watch party, how about a big pot of chili seasoned with Ford v. Ferrari connections?
Best-picture-nom Ford v. Ferrari tells the dramatic true story of the quest by automotive legend Carroll Shelby, his engineering team, and British driver Ken Miles to beat long-dominant Ferrari at France’s 1966 Le Mans.
Matt Damon stars as Texan Shelby and Christian Bale as English-born Miles. The movie gets lots of critics’ kudos for its exciting portrayal of the development of the famed Ford GT40 and Shelby’s vision to get it over the finish line first.
Click on the right arrow above for a slideshow of images.
Born in Leesburg, Texas, in 1923, Shelby went to high school in Dallas and trained as a military pilot at the San Antonio Aviation Cadet Center (later known as Lackland Air Force Base).
But it would be performance on land and not in the air that would bring fame to the automotive designer, racing driver, and entrepreneur. Most associated with the AC Cobra and the Mustang, his name is part of American automotive history, and buffs will talk about the variously named Ford Mustang Shelby, Ford Shelby Mustang, Mustang Shelby, Mustang GT500, Mustang GT350.
And there was yet another side to Shelby: chili. A founder of the original chili cookoff in the Texas ghost town of Terlingua, he also started Carroll Shelby’s Original Texas Brand that’s still in business selling his chili spice kits.
On carrollshelbyschili.com, you’ll find recipes for all sorts of chili: Tomatillo Chili, Poblano Salsa Chili, Quick Chili Mole with Black Beans, Guilt-Free Turkey Chili, Halftime Sausage Chili, Halloween Black Bean and Pumpkin Chili, Original Texas Chili, Race-Day Brisket Chili, Smoky Bean Chili, Turkey Harvest Chili, and White Chicken Chili.
Alas, there’s no Oscars Watch Party Chili, but we think the recipe for his Original Texas Chili along with Sweet Corn Yummy Cake will do trick. Go to carrollshelbyschili.com for a store locator that will tell you where to get Carroll Shelby’s Chili Kits.
Original Texas Chili
Whatcha Need:
2 pounds ground beef
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
2 8-ounce cans water
1 package Carroll Shelby’s Chili Kit
Whatcha Do:
Brown ground beef in large skillet. Drain fat. Add tomato sauce, water, spice packet, and salt to taste. To fix it mild, omit cayenne pepper packet. To fix it hot, stir in cayenne pepper packet to desired taste. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. For thicker chili, mix masa flour with 1/3 cup water. Stir in and let simmer for 5 more minutes.
Sweet Corn Yummy Cake
Watcha Need:
1 can sweet yellow corn, drained
1 can sweet creamed corn, undrained
1 box cornbread mix
2 eggs
½ cup butter, softened
½ cup sugar
½ cup Blue Plate mayonnaise
Watcha Do:
Combine all ingredients in medium-sized bow. Mix with fork and pour into 9 x 13 baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees 30 – 40 minutes or until set and lightly browned on top. Serve with a hot bowl of Carroll Shelby’s Chili for the perfect fall dinner.
Recipes reprinted with permission.
Photography: Courtesy Carroll Shelby's Chili, LA Times
