Tortilla chips and salsa, chili con carne, and fajitas are now typical European bar food. Rare is the English pub that doesn’t serve “nachos.” The influence of Tex-Mex on world cuisine fascinates us here at Texas Eats. So when our correspondent, Julia Walsh, moved to Manchester, England in January 2017, we asked her to chronicle Tex-Mex influences on the local English fare. Here is her latest report:
While perusing the food at a nearby coffee shop with a friend, I was delighted to find chili con carne offered on the lunch menu. The chili was made with “minced beef and kidney beans in rich chili con carne sauce with tomatoes and red peppers” and a choice of rice or chips. Naturally, chips were the only way to go, and I wasn’t disappointed in the mound of thick steak style chips served on my plate. I used the chips like, well, chips, scooping the chili onto them with almost every bite. The sweetness of the red peppers was nicely balanced by the cumin and other spices. Any Texan will tell you that beans don’t belong in chili, but other than that it was a tasty lunch!