Andy's Chili was a pushcart vendor who sold the most amazing chili dogs in the world!! His real name was Albert Anderson and he was found most weekdays under Building 39 on the MIT campus in Cambridge, MA (though occasionally he set up across from 77 Mass Ave.). Andy did a funky kind of dance while preparing the food, and the line at lunchtime was often 30+ minutes long. He sold t-shirts which said, “Some of the world's smartest people eat here.” He was around during most of the 1980s, but he sold his business in 1989 due to health problems.
Today, Andy is living down south in Uno (pronounced YOU-no), Virginia. He is semi-retired, but he still cooks three days a week at the Inwood Restaurant in Gordonsville, VA. His specialty is Sunday brunch, but he still occasionally cooks chili and he invites all past chili customers to come on down!
Below is Andy's chili recipe which he dictated to me to the best of his recollection. He never wrote it down, and in fact at one point he admitted that he had once forgotten the recipe and had to call a friend to help remember it. He recited the recipe “per pound of ground beef”, which is how I have printed it below. In actuality, he would cook a triple batch.
- 1 pound hamburger
- 5 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
- 1 large Spanish onion, chopped
- 5 tbsp chili powder
- .5 tsp cumin
- .5 tsp garlic powder
- .5 tsp crushed red pepper
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 can Hunt's tomato sauce (28-32 oz can), more or less to desired chili thickness
- 16(?) oz. dried kidney beans
- turkey bones (for cooking kidney beans)
- Brown hamburger with chopped garlic
- Mix dry ingredients; add to burger mixture
- Add sauce and onions
- Cover pot; place on stove at lowest heat
- Stir every 15 minutes
- Cook for 1.5-2 hours
- While chili is cooking, cook kidney beans with turkey bones to add flavor, about 1.5 hours
- When chili is done, add kidney beans to chili
- Turn flame off
- Let sit on stove for a few hours
Fixing the chili:
Chili Dog: Boil some hot dogs. Andy used dogs with minimal skin which were easily bitable, and I have found that Ballpark Franks do the trick. (Don't use Hebrew National. You will wind up pulling the dog out of the bun because it is so tough to bite, and chili will go all over the place. Trust me.) Also, try to get “top-split” or “New England Style” buns, though these can be hard to find outside of New England or during the winter. Steam your bun, insert dog, and slather with chili. If you like, add shredded cheddar cheese. Wrap in aluminum foil, carry it home, and eat with an icy cold Pepsi.
Frito Pie: Take a small lunchbag-size bag of Fritos and crunch it up so the chips are small. Open bag neatly at one end and pour chili right in the bag. Mix it up and add shredded cheddar cheese if desired.