Oklahoma chili is, by all accounts, very similar to the Texas bowl of red. The main exception is that Okies are far less militant about the exclusion of ingredients like beans and masa. According to the Oklahoma Historical Society’s account of the history of chili, Oklahoma has never met a chili it didn’t like. Oklahomans embrace both the Texas and the Cincinnati styles, along with coneys and coney sauce. Perhaps because of this open-armed attitude, it’s rather hard to pin down exactly what the state’s chili style is, so I turned to a born-and-bred Oklahoman (my sister-in-law) for some insight. Her response? “Is Oklahoma chili a thing?” Yes, yes it is. And, although it’s hard to define, it’s (almost!) certainly got beans. He’s not alone. Many of Detroit’s other old-school, corned beef–driven delis, like Lou’s, Mr. Fo-Fo’s, and D-Dee’s, now wrap their own take on the egg roll. And, though it was invented in delis in largely African-American neighborhoods, you’ll now see versions of it on menus at Irish pubs, bars, and barbecue joints, like McShane’s, Old Shillelagh, Zeke’s, Pop’n Smoked BBQ, and more.
