Award winning chili recipe?

[SparkDr]

Work is hosting a chili cook off next week and participation is “strongly” encouraged. I know my way around the kitchen well enough but chili just isn’t my thing. I use Hormel canned chili in my layered bean dip and was raised in a household where we had the basic Better Homes & Garden cookbook recipe variety on a regular basis, but that’s about where the relationship ends. I’m not a full-timer and have a full sticks and bricks kitchen to concoct whatever delicacy may be available. So....anyone have a winning recipe to share?

[jwilson66]

Too late for your competition but here's my chili (award-winning) recipe that I posted in here last year...

No beans whatsoever in my chili...use either a crockpot or dutchoven.

2 lbs burger
2 lbs stew meat
1 lg jar Medium spiced salsa
1 lg onion
1 lg bell pepper (red or orange)
2 cans Rotel tomatoes with chilis
36 oz (approx.) tomato juice (to meet your desired thickness)
6 TBS chili powder (I use 4 mild, 2 hot but whatever your spice desires are)
3 TBS cumin

And the SECRET INGREDIENT: left-over smoked brisket! When I smoke a brisket, we always have left-overs. I vac seal it and freeze it specifically for using in chili. This gives even more meat and a great smokey flavor...won me a couple of local competitions!

[magnusfide]

Ron3rd wrote:
Grandad was from Texas. He always told me Texas chili does not have BEANS!

EXACTLY! I learned from my family they from Texas.

[Ron3rd]

Grandad was from Texas. He always told me Texas chili does not have BEANS!

[Wanderlost]

For a more traditional chili, try this one, which has won a few contests:

3 Tablespoons oil or bacon fat
2 lbs flank steak or stew meat, cut into teeny tiny pieces
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, diced
1 Tablespoon (or more) Gebhardt's Chili Powder (yes, the brand is important)
2 Tablespoons Lee & Perrin Worcestershire sauce
1 can tomato sauce, plus one can water or 1 can chopped tomatoes & chilis (Ro-Tel type)
1 beer (dark tastes better, such as Shiner Bock)
1 handful of cilantro, chopped (optional) or 3 Tablespoons dried cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil or bacon fat in the bottom of a heavy pot, such as a dutch oven, on medium heat. Brown steak and onions. Add garlic and cook one minute, stirring constantly. Add chili powder and blend until the color is a deep rust. Add tomato sauce, water, beer and cilantro.

Bring to a boil, then lower heat to simmer. Cover and cook until meat is tender. Add salt and pepper and cook for 10 minutes to blend flavors. Taste and adjust chili powder, salt and pepper as needed.

Serve with shredded cheddar cheese, diced onion and pickled jalapeño slices on top, with tortillas or unsweet cornbread. Optionally, put Fritos in the bottom of the bowl for a Frito Pie (it's a Texas thang).

Can also be cooked in a crockpot. Just throw it all into the crockpot, in order listed, cover, and cook on high for 8 hours. Adjust seasonings, cook another 15 minutes to blend flavors, then serve.

You can use the same recipe with ground beef. It won't need 8 hours in a crockpot...

The point of constantly adjusting the seasonings is to have a tasty dish, not merely a hot one. Heat isn't the point; being able to eat and enjoy the chili is.

If it turns out too watery (happens sometimes), and you absolutely have to have some beans in there, use a can of refried beans. Thickens it up nicely, adds a bit more flavor, and you won't catch sarcasm from the no-beans crowd, since the beans won't be visible.

This chili is even better the next day, or frozen and thawed later.

Good luck and happy eating.

[Super_Dave]

1 Tbsp butter
2 yellow onions
3 cloves of garlic chopped
1 jalapeno chopped, seeded for less heat

Sautee over medium high heat for 5 minutes and remove from pan.

2 lbs. ground beef
2 lbs. pork sausage - spicy

Brown meat and drain the fat. Add following ingredients plus onions.

28 oz. diced tomatoes
28 oz. tomato sauce
4 oz. El Pato sauce (Mexican tomato sauce)
2 cups of beef broth
2 - 28 oz. cans of pinto beans
1 Tbsp Cumin
1 Tbsp Chili powder
3 lbs. pulled pork - divided
12 oz. of your favorite beer
2 oz. dark or semi sweet chocolate
1 1/2 tsp of your favorite meat rub
salt & pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients and put in a foil pan. Put pan in the smoker for 1 1/2 hours and stir every 20 minutes.
When chili is done in the smoker, transfer to crock pot to simmer until ready to serve. Garnish with some of the reserved pulled pork.

[Artum_Snowbird]

I use this one, with different types of beans, homegrown tomatoes, cut up chunks of beef instead of ground, spicy Italian sausage, throw in some green beans, carrots and cut up bacon rather than those horrid bacon bits.

Spicy for sure, but delicious.

[magnusfide]

stickdog wrote:
1# lean ground beef
3 cloves of garlic dice
1 medium onion dice
2 green peppers, diced
1 can of chpotle peppers in adobe sause
2 16 oz cans of black beans
2 16 oz cans of kidney beans
1 32 oz can crushed tomatoes
2 teaspoons cocoa
2 tablespoons cilantro

Brown ground beef add onion and garlic and half of the chopped green pepper till they soften.
Add undrained beans, tomatoes and chpotle peppers and simmer about an hour. add cocoa and cilantro and the rest of the chopped green peppers stir well, simmer another half hour.
This is a spicey chili do to the chpotle peppers, I serve with chopped onions, shredded chedder, and sour cream on the side.

This chili has won cookoffs. You can increase the ground beef if you want more meat or more beans if that's your preferance.

Close to mine except I don't use beans. I use a lb of ground beef cut in chunks and 2 lb of Jimmy Dean's Maple sausage cut in chunks. Brown the meat, drain the grease. Add the rest of the ingredients. Add 1 Tbsp chili powder and 1 Tbsp of cumin. If you want less heat, sub jalapeño salsa instead of chipotle peppers. Add a dash of Liquid smoke for a slightly smoky flavor if you don't have a smoker.

If you want to win, make it the week before and freeze. Day before the competition thaw in fridge and the day of, put it in your slow cooker to heat. This gives the flavors time to steep.

[NMDriver]

IF you are talking Chili con Carne--Just open the Hormel Hot/w beans, add an extra can of chili beans (S&W if available otherwise use Allens), some meat cooked with black pepper, chili powder/cayenne, onion, garlic, and come ketchup. Taste the mix and add ingredients as needed.

[Super_Dave]

I was essentially banned from entering our office chili cook off after winning too many times. I’ll chase down my last winning recipe.

[stickdog]

1# lean ground beef
3 cloves of garlic dice
1 medium onion dice
2 green peppers, diced
1 can of chpotle peppers in adobe sause
2 16 oz cans of black beans
2 16 oz cans of kidney beans
1 32 oz can crushed tomatoes
2 teaspoons cocoa
2 tablespoons cilantro

Brown ground beef add onion and garlic and half of the chopped green pepper till they soften.
Add undrained beans, tomatoes and chpotle peppers and simmer about an hour. add cocoa and cilantro and the rest of the chopped green peppers stir well, simmer another half hour.
This is a spicey chili do to the chpotle peppers, I serve with chopped onions, shredded chedder, and sour cream on the side.

This chili has won cookoffs. You can increase the ground beef if you want more meat or more beans if that's your preferance.