Or, if you have time, buy some Penzey’s Chili 9000. I’ve given props to this product here before, and it really is excellent. Sprinkled some on halibut tonight prior to sauteeing in butter.
Fennel seeds, actually, not caraway.
A lot of chili purists insist that tomatoes don’t belong in chili. You might want to find out whether this is a contest for purists (i.e. do the judges think this way?)
Chili is generally better with the meat coarsely ground or in chunks. Finely-ground meat (like conventional hamburger) falls apart when cooked for hours.
You might consider a mixture of meats. For beef, I think chuck is best. Someone already suggested pork shoulder or butt, which I agree with. If you want turkey, use dark meat (thigh is easiest to deal with, as the legs have a lot of sinews).
I think pinto beans or black beans work better in chili than kidney beans. The texture of pintos and blacks are better for this purpose, and they absorb flavors more readily. You’ll get better-tasting results if you start with dry beans and cook them in the chili.
A lot of the flavor of chili comes from. . . chiles! You can get a rich flavor by using a lot of mild powdered chiles - something like anchos, for example.
I disagree. Tenderloin is good for roasting and grilling, but would probably disintegrate in a long-cooked chili.
I like to add a bit of beer, a nice hoppy ale. My favorite chili pepper to use (for most anything actually) is the habanero, not for the famous heat but because it has wonderful flavor.
Ok, here is what you really want in any chilli cook-off. You want to layer the chile or stagger it through the cooking process… If I were developing my own, my tip would be a wet chile, a dry chile, a herbacious balance, and the proper addition of the spice from the beginning and throughout… Strong Flavors are made subtle through timing and timely simmer/addition, development.
Oh, yes, for the color–stir the paprika and chile peppers in with the oil right before you put in your wet ingredients. Dissolving the paprika in the oil will release its color and flavor.
Lots of good advice.
Penzeys Chili 9000 - I’m gonna get me some of that. I’ve had other Penzey’s spices before (try their dry ranch dressing mix).
I guess, for the meat, I’m going with pork butt chunks. I still want to throw a little bacon in there, though.
The contest is very informal, the judges are just folks who want to come taste and eat some chili.
This bears repeating: I have four hours from set-up 'til tasting. I must bring all the ingredients raw and unprepared (not even sliced) and do it all right there on the spot.
Would the beans cook sufficiently if I tossed them in dry??
mmm
I’m gonna say no. But if you have a pressure cooker you might have some luck with pintos. Pressure cook them for two hours with some aromatics, pork, and herbs, then add them with some of their broth to the chilli the last 2 hours of simmering.
I mean, maybe purists part with me on the bean. But at least it should or would be a well prepared Pinto Bean, if beans somehow intersected with Chilli… no?
Of course, Texas purists are adamant about “no beans.” But your cookoff isn’t in Texas, apparently. I’d suggest black or pinto beans rather than kidneys.
Not sure about your all pork plan. The basis of chili is beef or game–often with some form of pork added. Cubed meat works better than ground. (The chicken liver suggestion intrigues me.)
Maple syrup sounds weird & food coloring is disgusting. Ancho chile powder is the basis of most commercial chili powders; it adds rich color & flavor but not much heat. If you don’t really know your chiles, go with a really good commercial blend.
Definitely, test your recipe several times before the contest to work out the details. Like how to get the beans tender enough.
Note on my terminology: Chiles are the fresh, dried or ground fruit of the capsicum, coming in a great variety of flavors; often called “Chili Peppers” although they are not Pepper; I use the Spanish spelling. Chili is the dish made with meat & chiles; variants exist in different parts of the USA. (Beans would get you shot in Terlingua–but you won’t be there!)
I wouldn’t take a chance on the beans. Canned black or pinto are perfectly fine.
If you are going to go the bean route (Heretic!) used canned Goya pink and kidney beans. Drain, rinse, add to pot.
Penzeys Chili 9000 is pretty good. Not Gebhardt’s good, but pretty good. Stay away from their regular chili powder, though. Cooks Illustrated rated it the lowest of any brand they tried. Spice Islands won, FYI.
I like Worcestershire sauce (just a splash), balsamic vinegar, a little sugar, some paprika, a bit of cocoa and some Tabasco in my Chilli.
Whatever your secret ingredients are- practice your recipe so you get the balance, proportions and amounts just right. You do NOT want to try adding a whole lot of new stuff for the first time in the competition.
I use a chuck roast cut into small pieces (smaller than I’d use for beef stew) and crumbled hot Italian sausage (or chorizo if I can find it), about 3 lbs beef to 1 lb pork.
I also like a mix of different peppers, dried if you can get them. Anaheim, poblano, jalapeno, and a small amount of a hot pepper (because no one else in my family likes eye-watering heat). I also use a classic trinity (onions, bell peppers, and carrots) instead of just onions. Given time constraints, a food processor will help prep.
If you have only 4 hours including the prep, I’d use a pressure cooker if permissible. A pressure cooker will also allow the beans to cook, otherwise use canned. My own chili has to have red kidney beans and black beans. Sometimes I’ll add navy beans for contrast.
This one stunned me. I was aware of purists not using beans or onions (even though when I lived in Texas, most everyone used them anyway). But how the hell can you not use tomatoes in chili? What do you make the base out of, just beef stock and chili powder?
More-or-less. I’d do it with onions, beef, possibly some fresh chiles, as well as the powdered chiles and spices. You don’t even need to add stock–just a little bit of water. Plenty of water renders out of the beef so it makes its own broth. But if I’m not allowed onions, that makes it a little more difficult, but no less possible. It’s actually not bad.
See all the chili recipes here. Note that all of these recipes are tomato-less.
You really can’t compare Chili 9000 with a typical chili powder mixture. The Penzey’s product has a lot of spices in it that are more typical of Indian cooking, and there is almost no heat to it. I’ve never tried Penzey’s chili powder mix, as I always mix my own, but I’ll take your word on Gebhardt’s.
Onions let off a lot of water, and I would use “a lot” (as opposed to some) fresh chile peppers for similar purposes and to supplement the vegetable content (this is if I had to do it without tomato paste – I can go either way).
Makes sense. But I’m the type of person who likes a lot of sauce with their chili, mainly because I find it keeps better that way (and I almost always have a few days worth of leftovers when I make a pot). It should be a like a stew, but with a thicker, heartier broth. I’ve made it without much broth or sauce before, and while it’s fine straight out of the pot, I find it dries out fairly quickly and when you have it the next day it’s more like a ground beef casserole than anything else.
Can’t resist the temptation to pass along this amusing anecdote of a yankee drafted into service as a judge at a chili contest…