Well, I guess the disclaimer here is that I was born and raised in NM, albeit less than about 40 miles west of the State line with Texas. And we lived in a little town for 40 years that was 15 miles from Texas. Never found much difference at all between West Texans and Eastern New Mexicans. Got nuthin' much against Tex-Mex food, but when you grew up on New Mexican style Mexican food, of which there is great variety depending on where in the State you eat it, you know it ain't Tex-Mex!
Here in far west Texas, I have found places that taste like New Mexico, and I have others that are definitely Tex-Mex, mostly all good stuff. But they ain't the same, at least not to me!
Same with the chili with or without beans. Don't mind a bit if you don't like beans in your chili. Don't mind if you like it with beans. Good chili is good chili either way, and I've had enough bad chili to definitely know the difference! I've never seen a good chili that was made worse by the addition of good PINTO beans. I've never seen a bad chili that was made better by adding PINTO beans. I have seen folks who don't want their chili with beans who eat their chili with beans on the side. Tell me what different does it make? It's all goin' to the same place, right? Now I will say this ... I make my chili straight, no beans in the chili pot. I also make my PINTO beans straight, no chili in the pot. But I mix 'em together when I dish up a bowl full of both. Don't mix 'em till I'm about to eat 'em. Near as I can tell, neither one is hurt by the mixing. Personal opinion of course. And we all got one, and in this case, both with and without beans is right! I think Alan Brown calls it "GOOD EATS!!"
Now we can argue about seasonings that we put in our chili! And we can debate the difference between "chili" and "chile". And then we can argue about which is best, green chile or red chile. Truth is they are one and the same, the green is picked before the stuff begins to turn red, and the red is left on the vine to mature to the point where it is dry enough to pick and store up in a tow sack to finish completely drying without molding. Both have their place, and many times, that place is both of them together on the same plate!
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So long ... Ken
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