This 1970s Award-Winning Chili Hinged On 2 Secret Ingredients

A hearty batch of all-American chili simmering away in a Dutch oven is as cozy as it gets, but not every iteration of this meaty stew is on par when it comes to flavor and creativity. While some chilis include kidney beans and are served Cincinnati-style with a scattering of cheese over spaghetti, others are bean-free, richer in tomato, or generous with the veggies. However, there's one 1970s award-winning chili that's unlike any of the others because it contains two secret ingredients: mole paste and masa flour (or masa harina). Known as "hot pants chili," this slow-cooked dish is intensely meaty, smoky, and spicy.

Created by Allegani Jani Schofield, hot pants chili was the winning recipe in the 1974 World Championship chili cook-off. Schofield was the first woman to be crowned champion after women were allowed to enter the male-only contest four years earlier. This winning dish didn't contain beans and instead got its umami depth from mole paste — a rich, earthy, and spicy condensed version of Mexican mole sauce, which is made by combining dried chilis (like ancho or pasilla) with spices, nuts, dried fruit, and, in some cases, chocolate. The key ingredients in the mole gave the chili a savory character, complexity, and depth. Once the chili was cooked through, it was thickened with a slurry composed of water and masa harina, a flour made of corn used to prepare the dough for corn tortillas.

Unlike other thickeners, such as cornstarch or arrowroot, that have a virtually undiscernible taste and neutral flavor profile, masa has a nutty, tangy, and almost smoky note. This is because the corn undergoes an alkalizing process (known as nixtamalization) before it is ground, which softens it and imbues it with a nutty quality. Adding masa harina to a pot of bubbling chili, therefore, does two things: It gives the sauce a velvety consistency and elevates its flavor. Finally, the texture of the chili is boosted further with choice garnishes including shredded cheese, sour cream, diced white onions, and scallions.

If you don't have masa harina, take a page from Johnny Cash's book and add a handful of cornmeal to your chili. Just be mindful that the coarse nature of cornmeal will result in a chili with a thicker and heartier texture. Other ingredient swaps that will make your chili better include adding a dash of Worcestershire sauce for an umami kick, using ketchup instead of tomatoes, and subbing the stock for soda. In fact, hot pants chili is made with a combination of unsalted beef stock and beer as the alcohol gives the final dish a malty, hop-like flavor.