Chili
 

I really like chili and I've entered a chili contest (my third). I haven't been doing so well.

I don't have a hard and fast recipe—I kind'a wing it each time. Some times I hit it and sometimes I don't. It generally ends up hot (spice-wise) and I'm finding that lots of folks don't like hot stuff. TS.

I generally use stew meat, chorizo and a bit of ground beef and pork. Several chili powders and of course, cumin, cilantro, basil, parsley, salt and pepper. Some green chilis and whatever I'm growing (hot pepper-wise) in the garden. Otherwise its one of my hot sauces that I make from them.

What I'm wondering is if any of you have any wunnerful chili tips, methods or spices.

I can eat hot chili, but I find at many chili contests, heat is of paramount importance. It shouldn't be, because I have a recipe (my own) for chili that is just delicious, but it isn't hot. I wouldn't stand a chance in a chili contest. If guys start posting their recipes here, I'll take the time to put mine up too.

Joe

Dark chocolate, nutmeg and cinnamon. :cool:

Is that the Christmas 3-Way at GoldStar?

Doug

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I like hot but not "burn your guts out hot" or "burn your @ss up the next day" hot. My BIL likes stuff that way, and more power to him... I don't. The wife even less so...

Main thing to remember with chili, is NO BEANS... if you add beans, it's SOUP...

D@mnyankees still call it 'chili' though but it doesn't mean they're right... :chuckle: :D ;)

Later! OL JR :)

Hey Joe, my experience has been just the opposite. The contests I've entered have not been "sanctioned" chili contests and have been judged on popular vote, unlike the official contests which have a panel of judges.

On a side note: An old boss of mine was a chili judge and traveled over the states to judge various chili contests and he told me one criteria that he used was "the chili you pick to win should be considered as the one and only chili that you will ever eat for the rest of your life."

Anyway, I've always considered my chili to be sparky, but not hot. One contest made you declare the heat of your chili so they could catagorize the contestants into mild, medium and hot groups. I told them it was medium, which is what I considered it. Turns out it was hotter than any of the chili in the hot group—by a good margin.

I'm finding out popular vote contests aren't won by hot chili. In fact, some people will refuse to taste it and so there goes potential votes. My idea of hot and the general publics idea of hot is greatly at odds. So, for this next contest I'm not going to kick the chili at all because evidently my taste buds aren't on the same playing field as most folks. Plus, you can always add heat to your preference after the fact, so I'm going to play it safe.

I'd be interested to see what you do Joe.



Tasted a variety of that spicing in my neighbors chili at the last contest—she won.



In "official" contests, beans or pasta (?!) are not allowed and I've come to see it's merit. There will be nothing but meat and spices in this next batch.

I try and taste all of the competitor's chili and it's amazing how different they all are. I never knew you could get that kind of variety out of a bowl of chili. No two have tasted even remotely the same. Big surprise for me.

Us "d@mned yankees" won the war thusly WE should make the rules and are ALWAYS right....

If it has NO beans it is a topping for hot dogs, it is NOT Chili. END of discussion, no other opinions are valid in the least on this issue.

I like your meat combination.

I use a mix of Ground Round, Elk Burger, Bacon, and Hot Italian Sausage seasoned with fresh ground black pepper and Lea&Perrins Worchestershire sauce while cooking. Canned Tomato SAUCE (no solid diced or stewed tomatoes). Diced PICKLED Jalapenos. Diced Green Bell Pepper. Minced Onion. Lots of HOT Chili Powder. Some Cayenne pepper. A few dashes of Tabasco Habanero Pepper sauce and some diced home-grown Habanero pepper. FOUR different kinds of BEANS. Dark Red Kidney Beans, Pinto Beans, Hot Chili Beans, Light Red Kidney beans. A couple Garlic Cloves or Minced Garlic. 1 tbsp of Coarse-Ground Deli Mustard.

It is spicy, but I keep it mild enough so almost anyone can eat it.

By the way, there is NO such thing as 'white' chili or chili without RED meat. Those are sissy abominations that the inventors need a good "Patton-style" SLAPPING for.

Worchestershire! I had forgotten!

And yes, I totally agree about the white and vegetable stuff. It's akin to calling a flavored cocktail that gets served in a martini glass a "whatever martini." It ain't.

Bacon, hm? I will have to check it out. Sounds like I'd enjoy your chili. I have generally used dark and light kidneys and black beans. Whenever I have made it without (and that was just recently), I've diced the meat fine and made less "sauce" to use as a hotdog topper. I got inspired by the Hotdog thread.

Ha! That bean logic is pretty funny (I kind'a like it), though, the Eastern Shore (and Maryland) has always been affiliated with the South. We didn't have any Union companies or regiments that I'm aware of. Somebody, the other day asked me if I was from Georgia. The nerve.

I have used Black Beans as well in mine before. Not as easy to find regularly up here in the north though. My chili tends to be VERY thick, which is the way I like it. Usually top a bowl with grated sharp Cheddar and Pepper Jack cheeses and a dollop of Daisy Sour Cream. NO CRACKERS ever.
I can handle Chili without beans, but would rather use it as a topping for dogs, brats, or Italian sausages in a bun.
What I absolutely cannot handle is runny thin chili that is more like a tomato broth with junk tossed in it. NASTY.

I happen to like Martinis...REAL ones with premium vodka....none of that sissy-tini crapola.
A Martini is either 2 shots of Vodka or Gin with dry vermouth and a garnish.

My ideal ultra-dry Martini is chilled shaken 100 proof STOLI vodka, strained into the proper glass, THREE queen-sized skewered olives, a wave of the vermouth bottle over the top with NONE poured in the glass, and a spash of olive juice to make it 'dirty'.

I'm with ya on the thin chili. That's some kind of soup.

Martini's and Manhatten's are my two favorite cocktails. You can't go wrong (well, it's possible, but you'd have to be incompetent).

I've tried most all the gins—there are some very good ones out there, but I always come back to Beefeater or Bombay. About a cap of vermouth and a martini glass that has a thin enough rim so as to be able to cut your lip. I'll have the dirty rocks on the side, please.

I like Dos Equis amber with and while making, chili. A tot of rum or shot of tequila helps the cooking process as well. I've heard of folks using beer in chili—I haven't tried it.

As for garnishing chili; I like some diced onion and cheese. Sour cream for anyone that wants it. I 've never considered crackers, but a nice hunk of warm bread is always welcome.