The Heat is On!

[Surfah]

I made chili this morning. There is an open house for our former patriarch. They just returned home from a mission. Anyway, the bishop asked us to make chili and I decided to use this as an opportunity to practice for the chili cook off next month.

I wanted a smoky flavor. So I got some chipotles. I would have preferred to have smoked the jalapenos myself, but since we got the call last night asking if we could bring chili there wasn't much time. So I got some dried ones already. Mixed them with cumin, garlic powder, oregano, and smoked paprika. That was my chili powder. Smells awesome. I love chipotles.

I used a chuck roast, removed the fat and cut it into 1" tiles. This went into the bottom of the pot like Niku's with a cubed vidalia onion for some sweetness. I added some liquid smoke and waited for the onions to carmelize and cook down. I wanted to fire roast some tomatoes and green peppers, but instead I oven roasted them. Coated them with olive oil and threw them in the oven at 400. Pulled them out and cubed everything and into the pot it went. I soaked beans overnight; I used black, pinto, and small and large red kidney beans. I added the beans to the pot along with some corn, a large can of tomato sauce and 3 cans stewed tomatoes. I then added about 5 cups of water and mixed in the chili powder. Brought it to a brief boil and then let simmer for about 7 hours, stirring occasionally.

I really like it. It's very smoky in flavor with a smooth after burn in the mouth. There is this hint of sweetness under it all. Very good if I say so myself.

[FN Phat]

I made chili this morning. There is an open house for our former patriarch. They just returned home from a mission. Anyway, the bishop asked us to make chili and I decided to use this as an opportunity to practice for the chili cook off next month.

I wanted a smoky flavor. So I got some chipotles. I would have preferred to have smoked the jalapenos myself, but since we got the call last night asking if we could bring chili there wasn't much time. So I got some dried ones already. Mixed them with cumin, garlic powder, oregano, and smoked paprika. That was my chili powder. Smells awesome. I love chipotles.

I used a chuck roast, removed the fat and cut it into 1" tiles. This went into the bottom of the pot like Niku's with a cubed vidalia onion for some sweetness. I added some liquid smoke and waited for the onions to carmelize and cook down. I wanted to fire roast some tomatoes and green peppers, but instead I oven roasted them. Coated them with olive oil and threw them in the oven at 400. Pulled them out and cubed everything and into the pot it went. I soaked beans overnight; I used black, pinto, and small and large red kidney beans. I added the beans to the pot along with some corn, a large can of tomato sauce and 3 cans stewed tomatoes. I then added about 5 cups of water and mixed in the chili powder. Brought it to a brief boil and then let simmer for about 7 hours, stirring occasionally.

I really like it. It's very smoky in flavor with a smooth after burn in the mouth. There is this hint of sweetness under it all. Very good if I say so myself.

Your sister made chili today as well. Not sure what she made but it smelled great as I was walking out the door. I will be having some when I get home from work. I am sure it is better than yours

[FMCoug]

The chili turned out great. Here is my version:

Ingredients:

1 Poblano Pepper
2 Anaheim Peppers
4 Jalapeno Peppers
4 Serrano Peppers
4 slices thick cut bacon
1.5 lbs thin cut sirloin (from a tri-tip but sliced really thin)
3 lbs other steak .. it was in the freezer so I'm not sure of the cut ... but it was pretty lean
4 cloves garlic
1 red onion
2-3 tablespoons cumin seeds
1 T kosher salt
3 cans tomato paste (6 oz each)
6 cups water
1/2 cup or so of masa flour

Preparation:
1. De-stem the peppers and slice them in half.
2. Smoke the peppers for an hour and a half or so @ 150-200 degrees . I used cherry wood. When I pulled them out they weren't completely dried out but were starting to blister and shrivel up a bit.
3. Remove the pepper seeds
4. Blend/chop the Anaheim and Poblano peppers together. This is the "mild" mix.
5. Blend/chop the Jalapeno and Serrano peppers together. This is the "hot" mix.
6. Toast the cumin seeds and make into a powder. You could use a mortar and pestle if you have one. I put them in a ziploc bag and used a rolling pin.
7. Brown all of the meat in a cast iron skillet.
8. Transfer the meat to a large stock pot and put on simmer.
9. Chop the onion and mince the garlic and add to the pot.
10. Add the peppers. I used about 2 T of the mild and 2T of the hot. I would have like have inlcluded habanero in the hot mix but they didn't have any at the store when I went. What can I say, it's Utah.
11. When the meat/onion/garlic/pepper mixture is looking good, add everything else except the masa flour.
12. Simmer for a couple of hours, stirring occasionally.
13. Make a paste out of the masa flour and use it to thicken the chili.

Conclusion:
This chili came out really good. My daughter and I who both like spicy food loved it. My wife like it but said she wouldn't want it any hotter, which tells me the habaneros would have put it where I want it because I tend to like things hotter than she does. The other 3 kids didn't care for it but they don't like spicy food in general.

What I would do different next time:
1. The meat was so-so. I'd use a chuck roast or more tri-tip, maybe adding some ground beef as filler. This chili was pretty chunky.
2. More heat. Habaneros in the "hot" mix would likely help a bunch.

[FN Phat]

I made chili this morning. There is an open house for our former patriarch. They just returned home from a mission. Anyway, the bishop asked us to make chili and I decided to use this as an opportunity to practice for the chili cook off next month.

I wanted a smoky flavor. So I got some chipotles. I would have preferred to have smoked the jalapenos myself, but since we got the call last night asking if we could bring chili there wasn't much time. So I got some dried ones already. Mixed them with cumin, garlic powder, oregano, and smoked paprika. That was my chili powder. Smells awesome. I love chipotles.

I used a chuck roast, removed the fat and cut it into 1" tiles. This went into the bottom of the pot like Niku's with a cubed vidalia onion for some sweetness. I added some liquid smoke and waited for the onions to carmelize and cook down. I wanted to fire roast some tomatoes and green peppers, but instead I oven roasted them. Coated them with olive oil and threw them in the oven at 400. Pulled them out and cubed everything and into the pot it went. I soaked beans overnight; I used black, pinto, and small and large red kidney beans. I added the beans to the pot along with some corn, a large can of tomato sauce and 3 cans stewed tomatoes. I then added about 5 cups of water and mixed in the chili powder. Brought it to a brief boil and then let simmer for about 7 hours, stirring occasionally.

I really like it. It's very smoky in flavor with a smooth after burn in the mouth. There is this hint of sweetness under it all. Very good if I say so myself.

I really like your granite countertops, what color are they? btw, who cuts their beef into tiles? chunks, cubes, bite-pieces even...but never tiles.

[jxncoog]

Two things have been a hit with my chili-
Elk Meat & a tablespoon of cocoa.
I also put salsa and diced stewed tomatoes as a standard but that really isn't anything out of the ordinary.

[Pheidippides]

Okay, an update:

The ward chili contest is coming up. I made another pot to refine the recipe. It was WAAAAAY too hot for most people, so I dropped the super hot chili powder and the chipotle paste. Instead I used one extra T of the mild chili powder and a T of Liquid Smoke (hickory). Frankly, the chipotle paste with the cherry wood flavor was better, but that was spicy as well. I doubled the meat and added some beans (three varieties - black, kidney and pinto) because very few people in my ward are native Texans. Stewed tomatoes will be added when hell freezes over.

It was actually a little better, to tell you the truth. Amazing finish to it, partially from the cognac and partially from the very mild heat you get from the mild peppers - just enough to let you know it is there without making you uncomfortable. I had a friend sample it and he was wowed.

I am going to make some sourdough bread bowls to serve the stuff in. Nobody will come close to me this contest.

[Fiyero]

I am going to make some sourdough bread bowls to serve the stuff in.

How long will that take from "start" to finish (drumroll)?

[Pheidippides]

How long will that take from "start" to finish (drumroll)?

Dunno. I'm not sure how active my start is right now. I'm going to proof some start tonight and do a dry run this weekend. I am guessing I am looking at 12-16 hours of rising time, probably.

To clarify, I am only making the bread bowls for myself and the judges. The proletariat can use paper bowls.

[MartyFunkhouser]

I would spend a lot of money just to get some of the smoked chili paste that your created.

[Pheidippides]

Update: the contest was yesterday. I made a couple of last minute tweaks to the recipe.

I won out of 16 or so entries.

[Jarid in Cedar]

Congrats Niku.

[Fiyero]

So what was the final, winning recipe?

[Pheidippides]

So what was the final, winning recipe?

pretty much my updated second recipe minus the beans and masa flour thickening, plus a little pinch of the "hot" chili mix and some ground beef.

[happyone]

omedeto,
nikuman-sama

[FN Phat]

It is that time of the year and this was the closest thing I could find to a chili thread. I have made chili a handful of times. It has always been something that I want to improve. My dad makes a mean chili. It is always a bit different but great everytime. I don't understand how the man does it. I am wanting to find a good base to tweak from there. What are some chili cookoff award winning, mouth watering, slap yo' mama recipes?