ISO Award Winning Chili

[Dawgluver]

I'm enjoying these ideas. DH and I attended a chili cookoff a few years ago. We tasted and voted on a lot of chilies. DH did comment that he preferred mine to the ones in the competition. I had to agree with him. Problem is, I can never replicate my previous attempts. Did not care for the contest seafood chili entry, or the blow the top of your head off beef one. The entry we both agreed on ended up winning. It was pretty basic, and included beans.

I love beans in mine, as well as cocoa powder.

Pace Picante has an excellent chicken chili recipe. I think I've posted it here, will have to scrounge and find it. I add a lot of cilantro and extra beans, and mess with it.

 

[CharlieD]

Steve, 18-th place is awesome. Simple fact that you were good enough to enter is already awesome.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I appreciate everyone's input. There are some great ideas here that I will be incorporating. Since the theme of this year's chili cook-off is Mardi-Gras, I will be adding crayfish tails to my chili, to take it to maybe another level, and stay true to the theme.

I've found in the past that my chili had too rich a tomato flavor. I will tone down the tomato this year and use only diced and chopped-whole tomatoes, without adding any sauce, puree, or paste. The rest of the ingredients will be pretty standard for U.P. chili, except that I use more herbs and spices than most. And I have some Carolina Reapers and some Ghost peppers that I'll be adding to the hot batch, with Aneheim, Serano, and Poblano peppers added for the more pungent chili flavor, and Habeneros added for their sweetness. I have only GFS chili powder to work with, as do most of the contestants, so I have to be creative with the fresh chilies, and other flavors.

The mild won't contain the fiery peppers. I'm gonna put on my fishing hat, an old coat, and my huntin' boots and go as bayou-Bob and the Boy Scouts (no bayous in the U.P., just swamps), as the Boy Scouts are sponsoring me. I hope I have a few scouts who want to help cook and serve. After all, it's supposed to represent them.

Wish me luck.

Seeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[cinisajoy]

Good luck.

 

[taxlady]

Yes, good luck.

What's "GFS chili"?

 

[cinisajoy]

Yes, good luck.

What's "GFS chili"?

Probably Gordon's Food Service.
Sounds like they are sponsoring the entire cookoff.

 

[Kaneohegirlinaz]

Knock their socks off Chief!

 

[Janet H]

Consider crushing up a few dried shitake mushrooms and incorporating them into the cook - make sure they are in really small pieces and add them at the beginning. They will add amazing depth to the flavors and be a good compliment to the meat. The trick here is to use just enough to enhance but not so much as to be an identifiable flavor - try 1 mushroom per lb of meat.

 

[Aunt Bea]

For Mardi Gras how about a New Orleans style red beans and rice.

Good luck!

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Probably Gordon's Food Service.
Sounds like they are sponsoring the entire cookoff.

Host is United Way
Sponsor - Boy Scouts of America
Stores used - Gordon Food Service, Walmart, Family Fare, Nevell's mini-mart (has best meat and butcher in town).

Thanks for the well wishes, and especially for the ideas.

Seeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Update; As happens every year, the girl scouts won, followed by another team that made gumbo (the only team that made gumbo). The categories this year were chili, gumbo. There were no categories for white chili, hot chili, best chili from restaurants, etc., as there always have been in the past.

I made my two kinds of chili, hot, and mild. The mild was very classic with beans, but with the addition of crayfish tails. I was told by many that it was the only mild chili in the house that had real chili flavor. I tasted several different team's chili offerings and had to agree. They were very bland. You almost couldn't taste the chili powder, and definitely no cumin or other spices.

For hot chili, The only other team's hot chili tasted strongly of beer, which masked all of the other flavors. To me, it was a half-step above mild chili, but with beer.

For my hot chili, I used diced and whole tomatoes, fresh onions, the following fresh peppers - Serrano, Anaheim, Jalapeno, Green Bell, and Yellow Bell peppers, Caroline Reapers picked fresh from my plant. Dried include home-grown Cayenne, Japone, Buk-Jalokia. Also added was chili powder, ground cumin, Tobasco Sauce, and a bit of Sriracha. The flavor of the chilies doominated, and was excellent. It was a very different flavor profile than the mild chili, though it started out as the same thing since I'd made six gallons of it. I halved the chili and started adding the other peppers, and pepper sauces to what would become the hot chili.

The chili was hot, very hot, but not so anyone went away screaming. In fact, people came back for second and third helpings. It was gone before the mild chili was half gone. There were three gallons or so of each. Everyone started running out of chili toward the end of the event. I ran out of my hot chili half-way through. After all was over, one of the judges came to me and said that he couldn't taste any other chili after eating my hot chili, but that it had by far the best flavor in the house, and that he came straight to my station to get some more after the judging was done. He didn't want any other chili. The flavor combination of those peppers was wonderful.

I was very satisfied with how popular my chili was with the crowd. two people said that they come from out of town (lower peninsula) to this chili cookoff every year to eat my chili. That always makes me feel great. I just have to face the facts, I am not a girl scout or a fireman, and so am not likely to ever win at this event. The Girl Scout chili tasted like a thin tomato soup with some ground beef, and kidney beans added. Ah well, I had fun making and serving it. The only real issue I had was that I was making my chili offerings for the Boy Scouts. Not one scout, or scout leader showed up to help cook or serve. If I'm representing an organization, I expect them to have a presence and represent themselves.

If anyone wants the recipe, let me know. Mild or hot, if you really love a good chili, with beans, you'll enjoy either of these.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[MarcD]

Sounds like some good chili, Chief......sorry to hear you didn't come away with the ribbon.....

I've used different meats in my chili but prefer a blend of venison and pork.....about 2/3 venison and 1/3 Boston butt. Put the coarse plate in the KitchenAid and grind away. I process my own deer and grind the meat when needed and can select the grind I want......coarse for chili and fine for 'sloppy doe' sandwiches or spaghetti.

**Chuck roasts or steaks are on sale at the grocer........buy 1 get 1 free equates to $3.50 lb. At the price of ground beef I'll buy the chuck on sale and get the grind I want and can control the fat content. I'm a tightwad......(retired and on a fixed meager income).

 

[Kayelle]

The only real issue I had was that I was making my chili offerings for the Boy Scouts. Not one scout, or scout leader showed up to help cook or serve. If I'm representing an organization, I expect them to have a presence and represent themselves.

That makes me so sad (and mad)!!! You are such a good kind soul Chief, I know you won't do anything about it, but I'd sure have a few things to say to those "Leaders"....grrrr..

 

[Dawgluver]

That's not right, Chief. I think you need to become a Girl Scout, and give it another shot.

 

[Kaneohegirlinaz]

 

[CraigC]

Since you didn't win, I guess you are still ISO that chili recipe? Maybe try a Texas red and not use all those conflicting chilis or ingredients that don't belong in competition chili! No beans and no tomatoes. The best, award winning chili is what you and your family consider a winner! If you make chili your family doesn't like, you've already lost.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Since you didn't win, I guess you are still ISO that chili recipe? Maybe try a Texas red and not use all those conflicting chilis or ingredients that don't belong in competition chili! No beans and no tomatoes. The best, award winning chili is what you and your family consider a winner! If you make chili your family doesn't like, you've already lost.

You have to understand that this cookoff is different. It's designed to be a cash cow for the United Way, who runs it. People purchase tickets to stuff into lidded plastic pails to choose the people's choice. The winning chili is always made by one of three organizations, girl scouts, our local fire station, or girls and boys club. Once in all of the years that I've been participating, a women's shelter won once.

Mostly, we all enter to bring in chili lovers, and strut our stuff. As for conflicting chilis, as stated, the crowd simply loved the hot chili. It may not be your idea of chili, but then again, you've never tried it. I, and literally hundreds of people loved that batch of hot chili. It may not win a Texas chili cookoff, but it sure draws a crowd in the U.P.

My goal is to make the best tasting chili that I can. In my neck of the woods, that means veggies, coarse grind ground beef, and lots of dark read kidney beans. If you go into the lower half of the lower peninsula, they make a sweet chili, with a significant amount of brown sugar. In Cincinnati, the chili is wildly different that any other chili I've tasted.

Just as every household in South Korea has a different recipe for kimchee, chili recipes vary wildly.

I don't mind at all you stating that the chili I made is not your idea of a proper competition chili. I do take exception to the mildly condescending tone of your post. You stated that the chilies I used were conflicting. For my tastes, and true to U.P. style chili, the various peppers supported each other and made for an interesting and robust flavor profile. Many people who ate it stated that is was the best in the house. Others stated that they traveled from as far away as Grand Rapids (a five hour drive to my town) to eat my chili.

Others have made Texas-style, competition chili that was made simply as beef chunks, and spices, with no beans, celery, or anything else that wouldn't qualify in Texas competition chili. Those chili recipes weren't well received.

Everyone has their own likes and dislikes. Regions have there own ideas of what a dish should taste like. We must all try to support each other. We may disagree on what makes one recipe the best for our own personal taste, but need to be careful to not to show disrespect to another.

Please be aware that I am not at all trying to flame. Rather, I'm defending my choices with the reactions of people who tried my chili to back me up. And I'm saying to be careful how you present your views so as not to offend others.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[cinisajoy]

Hey chief,
I am pretty sure your HOT chili would go over well down here in Texas just leave out the beans. We do pinto beans on the side. Your mild maybe not so much.
Your hot chili sounds like hot as in spice not just hand me a cold beer to kill the heat chili.

 

[MarcD]

Hey chief,
I am pretty sure your HOT chili would go over well down here in Texas just leave out the beans. We do pinto beans on the side. Your mild maybe not so much.
Your hot chili sounds like hot as in spice not just hand me a cold beer to kill the heat chili.

Exactly what I've heard from an online friend in Houston....Pinto beans on the side.

I have to keep my chili 'child friendly' and only use jalapeno peppers for some heat. If anyone wants to kick it up a little I hand them a bottle of Scorned Woman. But I bet a bottle of Chief's pepper sauce would do the trick.....

 

[CraigC]

You have to understand that this cookoff is different. It's designed to be a cash cow for the United Way, who runs it. People purchase tickets to stuff into lidded plastic pails to choose the people's choice. The winning chili is always made by one of three organizations, girl scouts, our local fire station, or girls and boys club. Once in all of the years that I've been participating, a women's shelter won once.

Mostly, we all enter to bring in chili lovers, and strut our stuff. As for conflicting chilis, as stated, the crowd simply loved the hot chili. It may not be your idea of chili, but then again, you've never tried it. I, and literally hundreds of people loved that batch of hot chili. It may not win a Texas chili cookoff, but it sure draws a crowd in the U.P.

My goal is to make the best tasting chili that I can. In my neck of the woods, that means veggies, coarse grind ground beef, and lots of dark read kidney beans. If you go into the lower half of the lower peninsula, they make a sweet chili, with a significant amount of brown sugar. In Cincinnati, the chili is wildly different that any other chili I've tasted.

Just as every household in South Korea has a different recipe for kimchee, chili recipes vary wildly.

I don't mind at all you stating that the chili I made is not your idea of a proper competition chili. I do take exception to the mildly condescending tone of your post. You stated that the chilies I used were conflicting. For my tastes, and true to U.P. style chili, the various peppers supported each other and made for an interesting and robust flavor profile. Many people who ate it stated that is was the best in the house. Others stated that they traveled from as far away as Grand Rapids (a five hour drive to my town) to eat my chili.

Others have made Texas-style, competition chili that was made simply as beef chunks, and spices, with no beans, celery, or anything else that wouldn't qualify in Texas competition chili. Those chili recipes weren't well received.

Everyone has their own likes and dislikes. Regions have there own ideas of what a dish should taste like. We must all try to support each other. We may disagree on what makes one recipe the best for our own personal taste, but need to be careful to not to show disrespect to another.

Please be aware that I am not at all trying to flame. Rather, I'm defending my choices with the reactions of people who tried my chili to back me up. And I'm saying to be careful how you present your views so as not to offend others.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

The only time my brother ever won for his chili, his pure powder supplier made a mistake. She gave him two bags of the same instead of one and one.