How to Make a Damned Good Bowl of Chili

Ever tried to make chili? You know, the good kind. A meaty bowl of old fashioned red chili. I participated in State Championship chili cookoffs for 14 years in Texas and am willing to tell you how I did it. I never won, but thanks to talking with judges and actually becoming a judge myself, I created a recipe that is easy to produce. This recipe will produce approximately 25 bowls of chili.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 1.0 lb Pork Sausage
• Bay Leaves - (4)
• Beef Boullion - (8) cups
• Tomatoes - (4) Cans
• Dried Serrano Peppers (6)
• Dried Red Hot Chili Peppers (6)
• Cumin (3) Tablespoons
• Ground Chili Pepper (5) Tablespoons
• Dried Chili Pods (4)
• Salt (2) Tablespoons
• Tomato Paste (1) Can
• Paprika (1) Bottles
• Cornmeal (2/3) Cup
• Meat (9) lbs.
• Garlic - (1) full clove
• Onions - (3) yellow
• Tomatoes (2)
• Sugar - (5) individual packets
• Bittersweet Chocolate - Small bar - use 1/2
• Cinnamon (2) sticks

1. Use (1) Gallon water to boil chilipods and all dried peppers. The pods and peppers will expand and blow up like balloons. Take them out and peel the meat off the skins. Take the meat and chop up finely. Keep water. Use water during cooking.
   
   of completed batch to keep chili from burning.

2. Cut the meat into small 1/4 " cubes. Brown the meat and pork in paprika. Add Paprika until dark red. If competing and you don't want to add so much parika, a little red food coloring will do the trick. Should take 25 minutes maximum.

3. Make a thickener by using cornmeal. I prefer Gladiola Honey Cornbread mix. put one beer in a bowl and add the mix. Using a fork, keep working the cornmeal until it is a yellow pasty substance. Only put 1/2 of it in the chili when starting to apply heat to the chili pot.

4. If you are not competing in a chili cookoff, then you can do this step now, otherwise, it would be best to do this the night before. Taking the garlic (I prefer Elephant Ear garlic, as it is a sweeter garlic), put 1/2 cup of water and the peeled, largely chopped garlic into a blender. Puree the garlic and put it into another container. Do the same for the yellow onions, and fresh tomatoes.

5. After putting 1/2 of the cornmeal put 1/3 of seasonings in chili pot - the salt, onions, garlic, etc. Add (6) beers. Do not add heat until all meat is browned. As meat is completed, put in pot. Stir pot occasionally while meat is being browned in the skillet. Remember the water you used to boil the peppers. Add 1/3 of the water to the mixture in the pot.

6. As you cook, taste the chili. If it has gotten too hot in flavor, you can add (2 packets at a time) sugar. This takes the heat away and leaves the flavor. If the chili tastes too much like tomatoes, then add some bittersweet chocolate to the mixture (add a little at a time). It should leave a more meaty taste on the palate.

7. Heat mixture for (1) hour. Slowly stir in water from the boiled chilis as you cook the chili. Take off fire for (1/2) Hour. Add the remaining ingredients (2/3) during cool down period. Then reheat after 1 hour has passed. total cook time is roughly 4.5 hours, but can be reduced by prepping the night before.

Tips & Warnings

• No self respecting Texan makes chili with beans or hominy. If you are eating chili with identifiable vegetables, then you ain't in Texas.
• If competing, it is always nice to have the meat cut into the 1/4 " cubes. This can be done by laying out the meat on bakers wrap on a cookie sheet and freezing the meat till it is easier to handle and cut uniformly.
• The reason for heating and reheating is that chili always seemed to taste better the next day when I reheated it. The seasonings have had time to "rest" in the meats. The reheating gave a flavor explosion in the chili.
• The reason you add the water from the boiled chilis is that as you add this water, you are adding flavor (not heat) to the chili.
• You must drink beer while making chili. Chili made sober is not the same as chili made while imbibing.