You've Got To Try The Secret Ingredient In The Murray Family Chili Recipe - Exclusive

There are few things more universally American than a good bowl of chili. It's a nationally beloved dish, even within the regional distinctions you'll find from Cincinnati to Oklahoma, Illinois to Texas, along with countless familial variations in between. Chili is simultaneously personal and ubiquitous, and everyone's got a version they swear by.

Of course, Andy Murray and his family are no exception. The chef comes from a very talented family -– you might have heard of his brother, actor Bill Murray –- which includes several great cooks. Specifically, chef Murray says his sister, Peggy, is the other sibling with serious cooking chops in the family. So much so that chef Murray features several of her recipes in his brand new cookbook, "Eat, Drink and Be Murray: A Feast of Family Fun and Favorites," The book features chef Murray's favorite family recipes from over the years, complete with memorable anecdotes from the entire Murray family. And according to chef Murray, his sister Peggy's chili is "the best chili I've ever had."

In an exclusive interview with Mashed, chef Murray recalled the first time he tasted her life-changing chili. "We had gone up to Martha's Vineyard and we had rented out the Danny Aykroyd summer house for two weeks. We had 24 people there ... It was a cold rainy day, which happens sometimes up in Martha's Vineyard," he said. "My sister Peggy made this chili," chef Murray told Mashed, and it was so good he's never made it another way since. And luckily for all of us, chef Murray shared the secret behind his sister Peggy's famous chili with Mashed, revealing the make-or-break ingredient you have to try with your next batch.

When a chef says a recipe is their favorite, then you know it probably contains some sort of secret ingredient that makes it stand out above the rest. And when it comes to Andy Murray's sister's family-famous chili, chef Murray told Mashed the end all be all ingredient has "got to be beef bullion." And while it may not sound like the most groundbreaking of chili ingredients, chef Murray swears "it's true" that this addition makes all the difference when it comes to depth of flavor.

Peggy's chili recipe features ground chuck, kidney beans, green chilis, and concentrated tomato to make up the flavor base, spiced up with chili powder, cumin, oregano, and the all-important beef bouillon or consommé. And according to chef Murray, his sister swears the formula is not to be messed with. "She's one of those people who says don't screw with the recipe, and you don't."

Most importantly, chef Murray says that means not confusing beef bullion with canned beef broth. You can find both at the grocery store, but according to Murray, Peggy says "it's got to be a canned beef bullion." Murray even admits, "I've tried it with the beef broth and she's right," adding, "I don't know what the difference is, and seriously, what Campbell's does, but it does make a difference." 

Technically speaking, bullion is made from concentrated stock, so it's got a much stronger beefy flavor than broth alone. And as Peggy Murray would argue, if it's not broken, don't fix it. Just do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of Murray's cookbook, and make this chili according to the exact recipe to enjoy some serious beefy comfort food.

Click here to learn more and purchase a copy of Andy Murray's new family cookbook, "Eat, Drink and Be Murray: A Feast of Family Fun and Favorites."