A week ago I made an offhand comment saying chili should contain no ground beef. That got Jim Henley to say, rightly, that it should have no beans. That set off a blog flurry of comment, and I was compelled to clarify my position in an e-mail I sent to him.
Since I started this no beef/no bean thing I feel I should clarify what I meant.
Chili/e should be green and contain pork. (Chile con Carne) Sometimes this is referred to as New Mexico, or green, chili/e. This contains no beef, beans, or tomato. Red chili has tomato in it and normally contains no meat at all. This is used as a sauce, often on enchiladas. (Spanish word for 'in chile') The thing that most in the US are used to is Texas chili, a beef and bean concoction that while pleasant enough, isn't a Mexican food. I was referring to Mexican chile recipes.