Need a Chili Recipe for Cook off


 
B

Ben A Hillis

TVWBB Member
Hello all,
Alright, I have a chili cook off here at my office coming up in a few weeks. I want to wow them with some chili mixed with a little smoked pork or brisket. Do any of you guys have any tried and true recipes that have worked for you in the past that you wouldn't mind sharing?
Thanks!
 
Ben,

I don't have a set recipe; I cook chili a little different each time. This past week a made a batch and was quite pleased with it. I used a thick cut of bottom sirloin; cut into steaks. Grilled those to get a little char then cubed them to about 1/2". Grilled some poblanos (don't forget to remove the skin after charring) and diced them up. Sauted diced onion, green bell peppers and garlic. Combined all large pot and added beef broth (no salt), diced tomatoes and tomato puree. Choose a good quality chili powder or make your own. Avoid the large manufacturers jarred chili powder as it is probably old. I have a local outlet where I can buy my spices in bulk and bag right at the store; 20 grams to 20 lbs. Chili powder has cumin (cumino and oregano mixed in). I add additional cumin, Mexican oregano, thyme, onion and garlic powder. These are done by sight and taste. Salt and pepper to taste. I think a key part of chili is making additional 'dumps' which is the addition of spices throughout the cook. Certain spices lose their flavor/strength during the cooking process. You'll find many chili competitors will dump in additional cumin and chili powder especially right before serving. Heat (spice) can be controlled with the addition of jalapenos/serranos/dry red pepper. When I cook for a large crowd I tone down the heat and offer addition fresh chilis on the side. You might consider a combination of beef and pork sausage; that's worked well for me. I don't add flour to thicken, rather I add water or beef broth to bring up the consistency I like or simmer down to a nice consistency. Throughout the cook, taste, taste, taste.

Paul
 
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Ben,

I don't know a whole lot about competition chili, but the International Chili Society knows a whole bunch! Competition chili is not the same as the lovely bowl of red we might serve to our families on a Saturday night! The ICS has a ton of info about competition chili from recipes to judging guidelines and beyond. Good luck with your cook and have fun with it! Here is their link: http://www.chilicookoff.com/

:) linda
 
My friends and I have done a chili cookoff for about 7 years now. We have about 12-20 entries each year, and serve each of them in little plastic containers that you usually see used for sauces taken to go. With small servings and other folks trying to be the hottest, I've found that the chili I would eat a bowl of comes off as mild heat. If you're doing the same I would recommend adding more heat than you would ordinarily use.

Adding some pork to a beef based chili recipe is a great idea. I've used bacon, chops, and sausage. Sausage tends to still taste like sausage. Bacon will almost render out in a 4+ hour cook but it still adds the body and fatty taste of pork.

Cooking the beef on the grill to get some char is also a great idea. I've done that with an overseasoned cut of meat, cubed it after taking it off the grill, and the seasoning will get blended into the chili.

My friends have also told me that my chili tastes smoky even when I did not char the meat on the grill. That has to be because of the chile's and powders. Probably the de arbol, and it may also be the Penzey's ancho and aleppo.

Here's my recipe which won best overall in 2011:

2.09 lb boneless chuck roast
0.65 lb pork chops, top loin boneless
1.5 TBS arbol (15 peppers ground in coffee grinder)
2 TBS ancho pepper
1 TBS aleppo pepper
1 TBS paprika
1 TBS California chilie pepper
1 TBS curry powder [note: I was trying to add a non-traditional red chili flavor here. This gave it a slight taste of curry which you may or may not want to try.]
1 TBS chili powder
1 TBS oregano
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
2 yellow onions, diced
2 TBS garlic cloves, chopped
2 shallot cloves, about thumb sized like large garlic cloves
28 oz can of chopped tomatoes, drained, S&W ready cut sliced tomatoes
14.5 oz can of chopped tomatoes, drained
1.5 cups red kidney beans (uncooked)
1 TBS lime juice

Rub chuck roast and pork chops with salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and light dusting of cayenne (~1 tsp)
Light coals on grill while meat is at room temp (unfortunately, ~90 min)
Roast chuck and pork over direct heat charcoals for ~10 min/ side, then indirect for 90 min
About 195 internal at the end
(smokewood if desired, this cook had some small leftover bits of wood)
Boil kidney beans in 3 cups water, and simmer while meats cook
In large skillet, (with 2 TBS oil,?) sautee chilies, onion, garlic, and shallot until fragrant
Cut chuck and pork into ~1/2" squares
Drain beans and tomatoes
Put all ingredients into crock pot overnight
Cook on high for 6 hours in crock pot, adding lime juice toward the end


Notes during cooking in crock:
Watered up, then when the heat was turned down, it dried up a bit
added 1/2 tsp cayenne to increase heat
Click to expand...
 
This is H. Allen Smith's recipe which actually tied for first place back at the first annual World Championship Chili Cook-Off in Terlingua, Texas with Wick Fowler's chili recipe. According to the ICS it was a shoot-out between Wick Fowler and H. Allen Smith. There were three judges; Hallie Stilwell, Floyd Schneider and Dave Witts. Hallie voted for H. Allen, Floyd voted for Wick. Dave Witts, the self- proclaimed mayor of Terlingua and third judge, spat out both samples and declared his taste buds were ruined! He called it a draw and declared a moratorium for one year.

1st Annual World's Championship Chili

4 pounds coarse-ground sirloin or tenderloin
Olive oil or butter
1 to 2 (6-ounces each) cans tomato paste, diluted with equal amounts of water or more depending on desired consistency
3 to 4 medium onions, chopped, about 3 cups
1 green bell pepper, chopped, about 3/4 cup
2 to 10 cloves of garlic, minced (or to taste)
3 tablespoons commercial chili powder, or more to taste
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried sweet basil
Salt and pepper to taste

1. In a 4-quart pot, cook meat in a little olive oil or butter (or a blend of the two) until no longer pink. Drain excess fat.
2. Add remaining ingredients and simmer 2 to 3 hours with the lid on.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Recipe provided courtesy of the International Chili Society.
 
Dwain Pannell said:
This is H. Allen Smith's recipe which actually tied for first place back at the first annual World Championship Chili Cook-Off in Terlingua, Texas with Wick Fowler's chili recipe. ...
Click to expand...

Methinks that separate threads need to be started as far as chili is concerned: one for red and the other for green chili, and still perhaps another thread for chili of some other color in between!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
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