[CH] Chili Cookoff
Dave Hendricks (bvdrangs@enter.net)
Mon, 13 Aug 2001 06:38:12 -0400
I entered a chili cookoff over the weekend. My company sponsored one at
our picnic. With two categories to enter, I went for Hottest. When the
smoke cleared, I had won! My "Wallaby Damned Chile" was damned good
chili! (recipe follows). I won a rather large basket of goodies.
The basket (which resembles a laundry basket) contained various Tex-Mex
cooking goodies including chili powder, crushed red pepper, taco
seasoning, spanish rice mix, hot sauce, canned chile, canned enchiladas,
cooking sauces, two plants (Aloe and a cactus) a bottle od bubbly, and a
pinata. The same prize was awarded for Hottest and Best Tasting. I could
only enter one category.
When we arrived, we checked the other entries (Knock Your Socks Off,
Dominator, Hot Poker Chili) and checked the ingredients used. We were
required to list ingredients, but not the recipe.This is so judges could avoid
something they were allergic to. One also used the red savina powder and
Blair's Death Rain hot sauce (something I am afraid to try) However that
chili was not all that hot. The winner in the Best Tasting category was "My
Clucking Chili" and was of course, made with chicken. Barb and I agreed
that it was the best in it's category but not much of a chili. The remaining
entries were
not very good at all. I could have entered my chili (toned down) in
that category and won!
There were several comments about my chili being too hot to eat
and then there were the people who went back after the judging for
a whole bowl full. I do know that my chili had more than twice the
votes of all the remaining chilis combined.
Dave Hendricks
Wallaby Damned Chili by Dave Hendricks
3 lbs. Ground Beef
2 large sweet onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 bell peppers, chopped
1 can chopped tomatoes (28 oz)
1 quart beef stock (I used home made)
1 packet Lysander's Mesquite Chili seasoning mix (package contains 2
packets)
1 package Wick Fowler's 2-Alarm Chili Seasoning mix
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1 Tablespoon cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon Stubb's Mesquite liquid smoke
Salt and pepper to taste
1 Tablespoon Apple Smoked Red Savina Habanero powder
6 chipotles in adobo sauce, chopped
1 can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed (40 oz)
Heat a saute pan over medium-high heat and saute onions and bell peppers
in olive oil until soft and slightly translucent. Add minced garlic and cook
for a couple of minutes. Transfer to your chili pot. Add beef stock,
tomatoes, salt, pepper, cocoa and chili seasonings (use everything in the 2-
Alarm pack except the masa harina). Simmer. Meanwhile, brown the
ground beef. This will need to be done is several batches as not to
overcrowd the pan. As it is ready, add the beef to the chili base. Once
everything except the beans is in the pot, check the flavor of the chili and
add additional chili powder if needed. Also add the Red Savina Habanero
powder to taste and the chipotles with sauce. If you are a wimp, you can
leave it out the habanero powder or substitute cayenne. Simmer for about
an hour to allow the flavors to meld. Add the beans and simmer an
additional 30 minutes. When the chili is ready to serve, you can thicken it a
bit with some masa harina left from the 2-Alarm kit if desired.