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Charlie Porubsky's Chili has been a lure to north Topeka since his mother started making it in the back of the family grocery store in 1951. Charlie learned to make it from his mother, and now his grown-up kids carry on the tradition - brewing up a few dozen gallons on an old four-burner stove behind the meat counter every morning for the lunch time crowd. Porubsky's is still a neighborhood grocery store, and the dining area is just a small enclave off to one side, meaning the place gets mighty crowded every day starting at about 11 A.M. No chili is made on Fridays to keep the aisles clear for locals to do their shopping.
Porubsky's chili is Midwestern style, meaning it is made with ground beef, it contains beans, and it is mildly spiced. Not one of the Porubsky family was able to write down the recipe for us for the simple reason that there is no recipe. It is a dish made by taste, feel, and experience; a little of this, a jot of that, a dash more of something else. We did spend morning watching Charlie Jr. prepare a day's worth, so here is our educated version of Porubsky's pride. Its heat level can be adjusted by using hot or mild chili powder and by adding more or less hot sauce.
Porubsky's connoisseurs crumble a handful of saltines atop the bowl and garnish it with a scattering of hot horseradish-flavored pickle chips, which are also a Porubsky-made specialty.
For the Chili
1 cup chopped onions
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 pounds coarsely ground chuck
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
2 cups tomato sauce
Two 16-ounce cans red kidney beans, drained
Tobasco to taste (we use 10 drops for a faint heat)
Saltine crackers
For Horseradish Pickles
One 32-ounce jar kosher dill pickle halves (about 4 large pickles), with brine
1/2 cup prepared horseradish
1 teaspoon cayenne
Make the chili
In a big, heavy skillet or Dutch oven, sauté the onions and garlic in the oil until they are soft. Add the beef and salt. Cook until the beef is completely browned, breaking it up with a fork as it cooks. Drain off any excess fat. Add the chili powder, cumin, Worcestershire, sugar, tomato sauce, and 2 cups water. Bring the chili to a low boil and summer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the beans and simmer 15 minutes more. Add the Tobasco and more salt, if desired.
Make the pickles
Pour the brine from the pickle jar into a large bowl. Mix the horseradish and cayenne into the brine. Cut the pickles into large bite-sized pieces and reimmerse them in the spiced brine. Cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight.
Serve the chili with saltines crumbled on top of each portion and garnish with pickle pieces.
