Chli Cookoff Time Again

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Well Kids, Mom's, Dad's, and your pet dog, it's chili cookoff time again. I will be making some fiery chili, Texas style, and serving it up in the hot chili category. Cooking will be on Aug. 9, and the contest is Aug. 10. As you may recall, I won the white chili category at this event last year. I think I need a trophy in the hot category this year.

I've got a few special ingredients to go into my chili. First, I've got all fresh ingredients from the local Farmer's Market (They're my sponsor), along with some dried ancho and poblano peppers, some fresh Hungarian peppers, and some Buk-Jalopia (spelling) peppers. I also have 9 lbs. of smoked chuck roast from a butcher in nearby Rudyard Michigan. Add to that a bit of this and a bit of that, and who needs the beans? I expect to do well. But we shall see. I've done this too many times to get a big head just yet. After all, great chili is a very subjective thing. I think I should have won every year, but the judges didn't agree. We shall see come the 10th. Anybody in the Eastern Upper Peninsula of Michigan, the cook-off is open to the public at 4 p.m. I'll be one of two people at the Farmer's Market table.

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[PrincessFiona60]

I'm going to have to start a Chili cook-off here...It's one of my favorite things to make.

Good Luck Goodweed!!!

 

[Mimizkitchen]

You Are A The Winner Goodweed That is what you will be hearing!!!! I'm so proud...

 

[NAchef]

Bhut Jolokia? Is that what you ment? The "Ghost Chili"

If so where did you get them? I was wanting to grow one of those plants.

Good luck on the contest, wish I was there to taste them!

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Bhut Jolokia? Is that what you ment? The "Ghost Chili"

If so where did you get them? I was wanting to grow one of those plants.

Good luck on the contest, wish I was there to taste them!

Thanks everyone for the support. And yes, the Ghost Chili is what I have. I got some from a friend who grows them. While researching the chili through Google, I found a number of sources where you can get the seeds. They aren't very hard to obtain. Give it a quick google-search.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[Jeff G.]

Good luck!! I won here a few years ago. I still enter, I make more chili than anyone else, it is always gone first but for "some reason" I don't win. Around here its about how many friends you can get to come out and vote for your chili. It isn't blind voting by a jury.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I didn't place in this year's chili cookoff. I knew I was taking a risk, but hoped it would be worth it. I got rave reviews from the crowd, and one of the people who sponsored me told me that my chili, in my category, was by far the best in the house. I do have to say that I was certainly pleased with my chili. But taste is such a subjective thing and I can completely understand why my chili didn't place among the judges. Let me give you my recipe, then you can try it if you like. You can decide for yourself. It is more of a Texas style chili than a midwestern chili. Hope you like it.

Ingredients:
9 lbs. smoked chuck steak, cut into 1/2 inch dice
5 sweet onions, coarsely diced
6 sweet finger peppers, green
1 large dried ancho pepper, minced
3 large chipotle peppers, minced
3 dried ghost peppers, finely minced
1 tbs. salt
10 lbs. fresh tomatoes, skinned
20 dried Arbole peppers
5 heads hardneck garlic, minced
1/4 cup dark red chili powder
2 tbs. ground coriander
1 tbs. ground cumin
4 stalks celery
1 tbs. fresh cilantro, minced
1/8 cup Tobasco Sauce

I blanched and skinned the tomatoes and diced them. I broke them down over medium-high heat, stirring to avoid burning them. I then added the salt. While they were cooking, I diced the smoked beef chuck and added it to the pot,, then the onion, the sweet peppers, the dried spices and the salt. I adjusted the ratio of chili powder, coriander and cumin until everything tasted like chili. I then began adding the hotter ingredients, taking care not to make it too hot. Lastly, I added the cilantro, a little at a time. I let the whole thing cook for an hour and chilled it in an ice-water bath before refrigerating. I reheated it the next day and served it up.

People raved about the chunks of tender beef, and the smokey flavor. They liked the amount of heat, and how it built slowly in the back of the throat. The dried ancho peppers added a wonderful richness, kind of like raisins, but darker in flavor, more pungent, yet, slightly fruity. The winner of the hot category didn't make his chili as spicy as mine was, used ground beef, and beer, and had significantly more salt. But I have to admit, it tasted pretty good, just not as much like chili, IMHO. But as I said at the beginning, chili is a very subjective thing. In another place, I might have stood a better chance.

I'd sure love for someone here to try my recipe, adjust the seasonings accordingly, as my spice amounts are estimates, and let me know what you think.

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[PrincessFiona60]

It sounds good. I'll try it soon, but not until I manage to cut it down quite a bit, with just the two of us it would take us all winter to eat it all.