Chili

[Gamplayerx]

We have two little tiny scary latino stores.  The stores themselves aren't necessarily scary, but the patrons and neighborhoods are.

[dazie]

When I walked in to our mercado here, I was mostly ignored.

Until I asked for what I was looking for in Spanish and told them what I was cooking.   

They gave me a free cool woven grocery bag.

[grace]

homemade Tamales are to die for....

[Jessie]

I just diced up a roast and sauteed it with some onion to start a pot of chili.  I've never had it this way, so I'm curious.

I don't have any fancy peppers, so I just used some chili seasoning, a can of black beans, and a can of hot chili beans.

Nothing fancy, but it usually tastes pretty good.  I'm sure I'll add some other seasonings, though.

[dazie]

Hoo-ah!

Award winning chili, right here.

2nd place in the chili cookoff. 

[Alice]

Nice!  Congrats!

[DownSouth]

Nice!

[dazie]

I realized that I was a bit misleading- I didn't use the exact recipe I posted.  This batch of chili powder had cumin, dried chilis (including chipotle) oregano, dried onion, black peppercorns, annatto, thyme, about an inch of cinnamon stick, kosher salt and some cocoa powder.

Ground it all up together this morning, maced myself in the process, but it seems to have done the trick for the contest.

[Alice]

I realized that I was a bit misleading- I didn't use the exact recipe I posted.  This batch of chili powder had cumin, dried chilis (including chipotle) oregano, dried onion, black peppercorns, annatto, thyme, about an inch of cinnamon stick, kosher salt and some cocoa powder.

Ground it all up together this morning, maced myself in the process, but it seems to have done the trick for the contest.

I've heard that adding a can of Guinness to chili makes it awesome.  I'm going to try that soon.

[dazie]

I considered tequila, as I'm out of beer at the moment.  Didn't do it though.

[grace]

worcestershire,crystal hot sauce, and a little red wine, works well on liquid content too

[dazie]

It never occurs to me to cook with red wine, as I can't stand to drink it.  hmm...

[grace]

It never occurs to me to cook with red wine, as I can't stand to drink it.  hmm...

i never drink it either....but think of it as "stock"

[dazie]

I didn't even PLACE this year.  *lol*

Here's one of the top 3 recipes though:

Kinney's Chili

1 can mexican-style chili beans
1 can black beans
1 can kidney beans
1/2 bag frozen green beans
1/2 can black olives, sliced
1 bag frozen sweet corn
3 lb. ground beef
1 jalapeno, de-seeded and diced
1 large white onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 big bottle of spicy V8
4 cups beef stock
1 canister chili powder (the standard 4 oz. McCormick or whatever)
1 dash Cinnamon
1 truckload Black Pepper
1 bottle Frank's Red Hot hot sauce
1 dash Coarsely ground salt
3 tsp. Cumin
3 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
Cheddar Cheese, grated (optional)
Sour Cream (optional)

Despite the relatively long list of ingredients, preparation is a simple, if not lengthy process.

1. Start your beef frying and season with about 1/4 of the chili powder.

2. While the beef is cooking, dice your onion and jalapeno and throw them in a large stew pot with the beans, corn, garlic and the rest of the chili powder (WARNING: Don't strain the juices out of the canned beans. They add a bit of extra flavor to the mix). Start simmering over medium heat.

3. Once the beef is cooked strain out the grease and add it to the pot along with the V8, beef stock, cumin, black pepper, salt, cayenne pepper and cinnamon.

4. Simmer.

5. Stir, then simmer more.

6. Taste, and add more seasoning to your liking. Personally, I usually go heavy on the hot sauce and add a little extra cumin and cayenne to up the heat a bit. You can always cool it down with a good sharp cheddar and sour cream when you serve.

7. Repeat steps 4-6 for a couple of hours, or until the liquid reduces. A good test for when it's done is to dip a spoon into the chili and see if the liquid part sticks. If it runs or drips at all, you're not quite there yet.

[dazie]

2nd place...

The Completely True Legend of Lucifer's Lime Chili

It all began in the summer of 1931. My great grandpappy, Ezekiel Carlton, found himself – like so many other good folk in those days – without a job during that Great Depression. On one particular hot and dusty evening, he was walking the outskirts of Tupelo, Mississippi, searching the ground for grains or grubs, when he espied a dapper devil standing on a tree trunk by the side of the road.

Now, when I say devil, I mean just that. Neatly trimmed beard. Horned forehead. Bifurcated tail and pitchfork. Yessir, it was Old Scratch hisself.

As it so happened, the devil in those days was having to work extra hard on account of the distressed economic situation. For you see, when things are good, the devil needn't even lift a finger. But when things turn bad, folks have a tendency to fall to their knees and look upward.

The devil was not going to sit idly by and watch all those souls slip away. No, sir. Rather, he was keen to go walk amongst the folks and attempt to lure them to their eternal damnation.

Now, my great grandpappy hadn't eaten a real meal in two weeks when he had the pleasure of meeting the Prince of Darkness on that dusty patch of land. So when the devil wagered an endless supply of chili against young Ezekiel's soul, the boy could hardly resist. Anyway, all Ezekiel had to do was finish one bowl of chili. It seemed like a sure thing.

But this being the devil, the deal wasn't exactly on the straight and narrow. You see, ol' Beelzebub didn't mention that the chili had been cooked in the flames of hell itself and the ingredients picked straight from the devil's own garden in the very bowels of that foul pit. Why, I daresay that one drop of those infernal victuals would be enough to give a mortal man third-degree burns.

Fortunately, Ezekiel was no hayseed and he was on to that mischievous imp's ways. He wandered over to a withering lime tree and plucked the last two pieces of green salvation from its gaunt limbs. When he squeezed the juice onto the chili, it tempered the effects of that hellfire – and made a right tasty meal of it in the process. Not another word was spoken until Ezekiel had licked the bowl clean, looked up with a grin and asked for more.

Needless to say, the devil was unhappy at this unexpected turn of events. Perturbed, even. But a deal's a deal, and the recipe's been a family tradition ever since.

And that there's the entirely true story of how a few drops of lime helped Ezekiel Carlton avoid the flames of hell. Until his demise in 1973, anyways. (For though he won his bet with the devil, he never was the churchin' type.)

The spirited recipe still goes by the name of Lucifer's Lime Chili, but this here version is more befitting of a minor demon. It's a right docile version made for the public that will allow the fairer sex and those with a more delicate palate to enjoy.

Anyway, hope you vote for it. And if not, may God have mercy on your soul.


Lucifer's Lime Chili

1.5 lbs of boneless pork, cut into 1/4 inch cubes and browned
2 cans of hot red chili beans
1 can of white kernel corn (drained)
6 oz. Cholula sauce
8 oz. sliced jalapeños (drained)
6-8 oz. store-bought lime juice
3 full limes, squeezed
1 packet of McCormick's hot chili powder
A few sprigs of cilantro

Mix in crock pot. Cook for two hours. Cut up additional lime wedges to garnish. Top with Monterey Jack cheese.

[BigDun]

I didn't even PLACE this year.  *lol*

Here's one of the top 3 recipes though:

Kinney's Chili

1 can mexican-style chili beans
1 can black beans
1 can kidney beans
1/2 bag frozen green beans
1/2 can black olives, sliced
1 bag frozen sweet corn
3 lb. ground beef
1 jalapeno, de-seeded and diced
1 large white onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 big bottle of spicy V8
4 cups beef stock
1 canister chili powder (the standard 4 oz. McCormick or whatever)
1 dash Cinnamon
1 truckload Black Pepper
1 bottle Frank's Red Hot hot sauce
1 dash Coarsely ground salt
3 tsp. Cumin
3 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
Cheddar Cheese, grated (optional)
Sour Cream (optional)

Despite the relatively long list of ingredients, preparation is a simple, if not lengthy process.

1. Start your beef frying and season with about 1/4 of the chili powder.

2. While the beef is cooking, dice your onion and jalapeno and throw them in a large stew pot with the beans, corn, garlic and the rest of the chili powder (WARNING: Don't strain the juices out of the canned beans. They add a bit of extra flavor to the mix). Start simmering over medium heat.

3. Once the beef is cooked strain out the grease and add it to the pot along with the V8, beef stock, cumin, black pepper, salt, cayenne pepper and cinnamon.

4. Simmer.

5. Stir, then simmer more.

6. Taste, and add more seasoning to your liking. Personally, I usually go heavy on the hot sauce and add a little extra cumin and cayenne to up the heat a bit. You can always cool it down with a good sharp cheddar and sour cream when you serve.

7. Repeat steps 4-6 for a couple of hours, or until the liquid reduces. A good test for when it's done is to dip a spoon into the chili and see if the liquid part sticks. If it runs or drips at all, you're not quite there yet.

That's a lot of pepper.

[dazie]

It was a big pot of chili.

[Dry then Catch]

sounds great but also a lot of work!

[Gamplayerx]

What's Cholula sauce?  And what was first place?

I just got a crockpot for $9.99.  I want to try and make some chili, but most of the recipes I am finding call for things that have way too much salt in them.  Perhaps non-canned beans and corn and that lime one is doable.  Depending on what Cholula sauce is.

[dazie]

http://www.cholula.com/

[Gamplayerx]

Oh, it's a brand. Gotcha.

I did make some crockpot chili.  I used non-canned beans.  No lime or Cholula, but it was amazing! 

I am so loving me my crockpot.