Attempting a yellow-and-black chili

[scottsdale]

My new job has a chili contest on Friday. Last year's winner was a "white chili," and our company "mascot" is a honeybee.

So I decided to make a bee-colored chili -- yellow and black. I haven't started yet, and I wanted to run it past the group to hopefully get some ideas and/or head off any disasters.

I'll make this chili on the stove top starting Tuesday, eventually transferring to a crock pot the morning of the contest. (I only have a few hours between work and bedtime.)

Ingredients:

YELLOW TOMATO SAUCE
* 10 yellow heirloom tomatoes, peeled and seeded
* Whole carrots, yellow onion, yellow bell pepper and celery (to be removed after cooking)
* Wheat beer
* 1 habanero, seeded and finely diced

YELLOW CHILI POWDER
* Turmeric
* White pepper
* Ground cumin
* Garlic powder
* Ground yellow mustard (maybe, I'll see how it tastes)

MEAT
I'm torn between two ideas:
- Two kinds of fresh sausage, one white and one dark.
- Beef roast and pork roast, diced.

VEGETABLE
I found these tiny yellow squashes. I'll dice them, then par-boil and season them... but not add them until a few hours before the contest. I don't want them to over-cook and turn to slime.

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My biggest uncertainties are:

1. Will the turmeric make dark sausage or beef turn yellow? If so, I might want to add black beans or something else that would retain its blackness.

2. Is par-boiling the right method for the squash? Maybe I could saute them, or just leave them raw until the morning of the contest?

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I'd appreciate any insight, or just suggestions for how to make this better. I'll post updates through the week. Thanks for your interest or help.

 

[merstar]

It sounds great. I'd go with the sausage and the black beans. Don't forget the garlic for the yellow tomato sauce!

 

[scottsdale]

Great point about using garlic in the sauce instead of garlic powder in the chile powder. I must have been thinking crazy.

I think you're right about using black beans. They'll stay black, no matter what.

Obviously, I can't use canned beans in this once-in-a-lifetime chili. I'll get some dry beans at the store and soak them overnight tomorrow.

 

[scottsdale]

Yellow ingredients

 

[Zhizara]

Black beans and corn make a tasty, pretty dish, I don't know that it could be flavored as a chili, but it's good on it's own.

 

[forty_caliber]

Black beans and corn make a tasty, pretty dish, I don't know that it could be flavored as a chili, but it's good on it's own.

I don't think your yellow ingredients will stay yellow in the final product. I would season your dish along traditional chili lines. Zhisara's suggestion of black beans and corn will communicate yellow and black "mascot" message.

.40

 

[sparrowgrass]

Could you cook the beans and yellow ingredients separately and make 'stripes' on top of your meat mix?

 

[pacanis]

Black beans and corn make a tasty, pretty dish, I don't know that it could be flavored as a chili, but it's good on it's own.

I immediately thought of black beans and corn. Good suggestion. Take the chili in a Mexican direction.

 

[CWS4322]

I'd go with chicken or pork for the meat..I'd probably skip the mustard and consider adding fresh cilantro (chopped) at the end, and a splash of fresh lime juice. You could "mole-ize" it by adding some grated white chocolate...

 

[scottsdale]

Black beans and corn make a tasty, pretty dish, I don't know that it could be flavored as a chili, but it's good on it's own.

This suggestion is spot on, and I Picked up the black beans and corn tonight.

This is shaping up like calabacitas in tomato sauce with sausage. Yum.

 

[merstar]

You can serve it with yellow and blue corn (they look black) tortilla chips. Or with yellow rice and wild or black rice.

 

[scottsdale]

You can serve it with yellow and blue corn (they look black) tortilla chips. Or with yellow rice and wild or black rice.

Great ideas, though they won't work for this particular chili contest.

I'm starting to think about having a yellow-and-black dinner party. That would be fun.

 

[scottsdale]

Here's an update from night one:

Yellow tomato sauce recipe:

(makes 3.5 cups of sauce)

10 yellow heirloom tomatoes, peeled and seeded
1 habanero, halved and seeded
2 stalks of celery, whole
1 handful of baby carrots
1 onion, peeled and whole
4 cloves garlic
1 pinch of the following:
* turmeric
* white pepper
* ground cumin

Throw everything in a pot. Simmer uncovered a few hours, stirring occasionally to break up the big tomato chunks.

Allow to cool briefly, then discard the habanero, celery, carrots, onion and garlic.

Mine simmered for three hours to evaporate most of the liquid. The result is a very intense flavor. It starts sweet but finishes hot like a habanero.

Elsewhere in the kitchen...

1. The black beans are soaking overnight in water. I'll deal with them tomorrow.

2. Six ears of corn are in the ice box. My current plan is to broil the ears under high heat, then add the kernels to the chili the morning of the contest.

2. I borrowed a 5-quart slow cooker for the contest. How should I best stretch 3.5 cups of yellow tomato sauce into a 5-quart slow cooker?

As the liquid, I want to use yellow beer. I'm not sure about the thickening agent. Alton Brown used corn chips, which seemed cheap and cool. I was also considering corn flour.

So what's the best way to stretch my sauce?

 

[CWS4322]

The sauce looks great! Chicken broth or vegetable broth could be used to stretch the tomato sauce...or the beer...I use Masa (the flour used for corn tortillas and tamale) to thicken, if necessary. You may find with the corn and the beans, you won't need to thicken it.

 

[jabbur]

I'm surprised you removed the whole celery, carrots, onion and garlic. I would have given the sauce a run with my stick blender and purred those veggies right into the sauce. Your recipe does sound intriguing though. Can't wait to see pics of the finished product.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

The only things I would change would be to add Masa Harina to the sauce, to give it that rich tortilla flavor, adn mabe add yellow hominy as well. I would also add ground coriander to enhance the spice flavors. Other than that, I think you have the makings of a chili champion dish. It certainly is creative. I love you ideas. I might just have to borrow a few for my white chili (I won a chili cook-off (white chili category) with that recipe, but need to try something new). Great job. And that sauce looks fantastic.

Seeeeeya; goodweed of the North

 

[scottsdale]

I'm surprised you removed the whole celery, carrots, onion and garlic. I would have given the sauce a run with my stick blender and purred those veggies right into the sauce. Your recipe does sound intriguing though. Can't wait to see pics of the finished product.

When you're pureeing the vegetables, you'll lose the texture of the tomatoes. If I were making a smooth tomato sauce, blending would be a great idea. But mine is kind of chunky.

One other thing to note: Don't puree the habanero. In fact, I'm worried that I let mine simmer too long -- this sauce is spicy.

 

[scottsdale]

The only things I would change would be to add Masa Harina to the sauce, to give it that rich tortilla flavor, adn mabe add yellow hominy as well. I would also add ground coriander to enhance the spice flavors. Other than that, I think you have the makings of a chili champion dish. It certainly is creative. I love you ideas. I might just have to borrow a few for my white chili (I won a chili cook-off (white chili category) with that recipe, but need to try something new). Great job. And that sauce looks fantastic.

Seeeeeya; goodweed of the North

Thanks for the kind words and the ideas. I've never cooked with masa, but I'm loving the idea of a rich tortilla flavor.

 

[scottsdale]

Meanwhile... I got these from the sausage maker. Not especially photogenic, but undoubtedly delicious.

One polish, two hungarian

 

[scottsdale]

I didn't do too much cooking tonight. I'm tired, this chili is wearing me out.

I cooked the black beans, aka frijoles negros, as easy as possible.

Easy black beans recipe:

.5 pounds black beans
1 can chicken stock
1.5 cans water
4 cloves garlic, peeled and whole
1 bay leaf
.5 tsp of the following:
* Onion powder
* Celery salt
* Ground cumin
1 tsp dark molasses

Sort and wash the beans. Put them in a medium pot. Add several inches of water. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Drain the beans, then return them to the pot. Add chicken stock, water, garlic, bay leaf and spices. Bring to a boil. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally. If the liquid runs low, add a bit more water. Don't let them stick.

When the beans are al dente, probably 60 - 90 minutes, remove from heat. (Remember, the beans will cook slightly in the crock pot before the contest.)

Stir in the molasses. Taste and adjust seasonings. I added 1/4 tsp of salt.

Allow to cool slightly, then remove the bay leaf and garlic.

...Refrigerate until tomorrow. We're almost done, folks.