Chili part 2: And still I lost
As you may have guessed, I lost the chili competition. Again. What I lack in titles I make up for in consistency: I lose. And yes, I would love to win, but then this post would be boring. A chili loss makes for a hot story. Or something like that.
My alarm went off at 7 this morning. I removed the pot from the fridge and placed it in the crock on low. I left the chili to reheat and finish cooking the beans. My parents and I went out to eat for lunch after church. By the time we returned home it was almost 1 p.m. “The chili should be ready by now.” I thought.
The beans were crunch. Very crunch. It wasn’t one of those, “Well, it’ll be ok,” kind of moments. It was a full-on panic. And in a weasel-induced frenzy I rationalized this, “I turn the heat to high and allow the chili to cook until 3. If the beans are still hard at that time I will pick them out of the chili and replace them with canned beans.”
Ok. I’ll admit it. I have a problem. But it’s been three years. THREE YEARS OF LOSING.
Thankfully the beans were happily cooked through by 3 and removal was not necessary. Plus, I would have lost my mind trying to fish the beans out of that mess.
The chili was spicy. Really spicy. Like a “volcano-has-exploded-in-my-mouth-and-given-birth-to-a-sun” kind of spicy. I added some cheese to tame the spice, but it would not be assuaged. I then added some cream. Still it was only slightly put-off. In an act of desperation I added several “blubbs” of ketchup and a scoop of raspberry jam. The result was so much better than I could have anticipated.
The heat had been tamed by the sweet. As you took a bite of the chili, there was an initial, “Hello, what flavor is that?” that danced across your tongue. It was the raspberry. But it didn’t taste like fruit. It tasted like amazing.
At last I had a winning chili. The flavor was complex and deep, the spice was varied, and the beans were tender. Victory was in my grasp.
But NO. It was not to be. Loss, my dear bad penny, has returned to me again. I even made yummy garlic toasts to go with the chili. People loved them. In fact, people loved my chili. The ate every bit of it and even scraped the pot. Victory, the fickle lady, has eluded me again.
I was told by one consumer (not a judge), that my chili was the best thy had ever eaten. That was nice. TOO BAD IT WASN’T A JUDGE!
Already I am looking forward to next year. I have no clue what I’ll make, but I’m sure to win.
mostlyabout Food 
Stick with this recipe for next year, the flavor was fantastic. Familiarity will surely be in your favor.
Maybe I’ll make a few modifications, but I may be onto something. š
Maybe you should try some V-8 next time…
HAHAHAHAH….:D
I desire to try this chili. Redux in summer?
Deal!
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ROTFLOL!! (Well not literally… Too much effort in rolling… It’s more of a OTFLOL. š
Did you win 2nd?
Not even 2nd. NOT EVEN HONORABLE MENTION!!!!! š
You really need to post the recipes to go with these!!!
Agreed. I’ve been a slacker about posting them. I’ll get on that.
The flavor might have danced across the tongue but the only dance the judges knew was Texas line style and the chili tango did not impress them. I plan to make my own pot of chili next year and wow the judges. I have an old family recipe that I invented. It is a H & R (hit and run) type of experience.
Here’s a rough idea of the recipe. Sort of a road map, if you will.
1lb red beans, soaked for 7-8 hours in water (NO SALT)
1lb bacon, cut into 1/2 in slices
1pt mushrooms, sliced
2 Onions, chopped
2 Red peppers, chopped
Garlic cloves, to taste, minced
1 Jalapeno, ribs and seeds removed, minced
2 Chipotles in adobo sauce, minced
1 Beef roast, size depends on how much chili you are making and how “beefy” you want it to be
Beef broth
Chopped tomatoes
Chili powder (to taste)
Cumin powder (to taste)
Red pepper flakes, to taste (optional)
1t Worcestershire sauce
Hot sauce, to taste (optional)
Chedder cheese, to taste
Ketchup, to taste (approx. 3/4C)
1/2C raspberry jam
Render bacon in large cast iron pot on medium high. Remove cooked bacon and set aside. Add mushrooms. Cook for 1-2 minutes until mushrooms give off their juices and look tender. Add onions, red peppers, garlic, jalapeno, and chipotle in adobo. Cook until onions and peppers are tender and translucent. Add salt and pepper.
Place the beef roast on top of the cooked onion and pepper mix. Add more salt and pepper to roast. Add Beef broth until broth comes 3/4 of the way up the beef roast. Add reserved cooked bacon, chopped tomatoes, chili powder, cumin powder, red pepper flakes, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce.
Cover roast with oven proof lid and bake in the oven at 350 for 6-8 hours depending on size of roast.
When roast is cooked, remove roast from pot and shred beef until it looks like BBQ. Combine shredded beef, beans, and the remainder of the chili from the cast iron pot. Cook in a crock pot for 5-6 hours on low until beans are cooked and chili has thickened.
It should be hot. VERY HOT. Add cheese and ketchup to tame the heat. Add raspberry jam and stir to combine until the jam is fully incorporated.
Serve with sour cream, bread or crackers, and plenty of water. Serves a lot.
YEAH!!! Thank you for this recipe too!!
yayyy gracias!!!