Who has Made their own chili powder and Thoughts?

[Powersmoke_80]

Was planning on making some fresh chili powder to use in chili for our annual chili contest at work. From what I have read it is night and day from store bought so I have a few Questions that maybe some BBQ peeps could help me out on.
I Took first place in 2014 with pulled pork in it and 2nd in 2015 with chuck roast and mushrooms(Although I like mushrooms in hindsight I think it may have cost me a couple votes, some people don't like fungus).
So this year I am looking for that edge to take it over the top and I'm going to smoke all, brisket, onion and the garlic, also adding homemade chili powder.

1) Has anybody made this and what is your thoughts on taste?

2) If so are the ratios used in recipes the same as store bought or would it be stronger and need to use less? ( I understand I will have to taste to know ,just looking for a baseline)

3) What recipe did you use was it MH Signature Chili Powder? http://amazingribs.com/recipes/rubs_...li_powder.html or another?
maybe AB's recipe http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/a...er-recipe.html
Thoughts?

TIA Dean

[_John_]

If you look down the comments on that first link you can see where I commented on it with a pic or 2. It is very different than store bought which may or may not be a good thing. I would mix some according to MH reco but I advise you to get a good smell and taste of each one as you grind it, as they have very different flavors that you might expect and that can create a lot of depth. Fresh cumin to me was the biggest change from store bought, the peppers have more of a chocolate or coffee flavor.
I would start out using a bit less than what you would of store bought as the flavors are much stronger. I remember ancho having a strong flavor along with a lot of depth from guajillo, pasilla had the heat. Different peppers of the same variety can be much hotter or flavorful so each batch can taste quite a bit different.
The only changes I make are adding chipotle, mostly for flavor, and a bit more smoked paprika, partly for flavor but mostly for color, these fresh ground peppers make for a pretty dark powder and can make the chili almost black unless you are a chili soup maker.
Meatheads recipe has no salt, and as he mentions in the article that is the number one thing in most commercial blends, so don't expect it to really taste anything like store bought. Store bought is more like seasoning salt, its about all you need for a good tasting chili, MH recipe allows you to control depth of flavor and brighten it up a bit at will while separately maintaining salt content. If you want more flavor with store bought you have no choice but to bring up the salt level quite a bit.

I thought this would be a short reply, sorry, I would keep some cumin and oregano in separate containers so you can add them separately. They are such a different flavor I want to be able to add them myself, if it gets too dark or if there is either too much onion or garlic a pinch of each of these can lighten things up and diversify.

I make it sound like I do this a lot, I don't, I don't make a lot of chili, but I do keep some peppers and the cumin and oregano separate and use them in many dishes.

[Dr ROK]

Here are some options you could try.

Serious Eats - http://www.seriouseats.com/2015/01/h...ubstitute.html
I haven't tried this one yet, but plan to soon.

Here's the blend I use. Not positive where I got it, but I think it was posted in Cook's Illustrated at one time.

10 TBS Anaheim, New Mexico, or Guajillo powder 3 TBS Ground cumin
3 TBS Oregano
3 TBS Garlic Powder
2 TBS Cayenne
2 TBS pasilla or other mild chili powder (I typically use California chili powder.)

I also add 2 TBS of Gebhardts chili powder. If you can't find it, it'll be fine without it.

[IanN]

Just a thought. If you use chilli powder and you decide you need to increase the heat, then by adding more chilli powder you are also adding more of the other ingredients which in turn also changes the final flavour. That might of course be perfectly fine, but equally it might not be what you wanted

Why make chilli powder? Just use crushed dried chillies of your chosen variety (or blend of varieties) to achieve your desired level of heat. Then use the other spices separately to add flavour and complexity as you require

[Powersmoke_80]

Thanks IanN, I agree i don't want the chili powder for the heat more for the taste. I would add some cayenne or other chilies
for the heat separately.

[Mosca]

I've done what IanN suggests. It came out okay, I don't remember the details because it's been years since I made chili that way. I bought some ristras, reconstituted the peppers and made a paste; then added cumin, Mexican oregano, and the other ingredients.

In the end, I got used to the way store bought chili powder tastes, and I can manipulate the ingredients separately (as above) to get where I want to be with the flavor. IMO the only downside to store bought powder is that it can be gritty, especially if it is old.

[Powersmoke_80]

Thanks Mosca, and if I may ask how is Mrs Mosca doing? I hope all is well.

[Jon Solberg]

I use AB's recipe all the time. I like his pressure cooker chili as well.

[Powersmoke_80]

Thanks Jon Solberg, I see they have cumin in the pressure cooker chili as well as the powder recipe, do you add the cumin to both or not add to the powder and only in pressure cooker chili to taste?

[Jon Solberg]

Both. ..

[Powersmoke_80]

Thanks _John_, and Dr ROK, I bought some Chili peppers from Penzeys Cascabels, Chipotles, Guajillo, and Ancho and also Mexican Oregano
(description from SE)
Hot, The best, like Cascabels, also have some complexity
Smoky: Some peppers, like Chipotles (dried, smoked jalapeños), are smoky because of the way they are dried. Others, like Guajillo, have a natural musty, charred-wood smokiness.
Rich and Fruity: Distinct aromas of sun-dried tomatoes, raisins, chocolate, and coffee. Some of the best-known Mexican chilies, like Ancho,.

I think I will grind all separate and taste and go from there.
Thanks all

[Willy]

I'm at the point where a chili (with an "i") powder is no useful. When I make chili, I use chile (with an "e") powder (typically ancho, though some guajillo is nice too) then add cumin and other seasonings separately. Beyond chili itself, chili powder is pointless, so why not just use the basic chiles (ground or dried and whole) themselves? If'n you are going to use cumin (and good chili demands cumin, imho, not to mention beans (!!!)), buy the whole seed, then toast and grind it yourself.

My chile powders come from Penzeys (mostly) and my whole, dried chiles come from my garden or our local (in AZ) Mexican supermarket. Even big, national supermarkets carry some whole chiles, at least in the GREAT SW.

[Powersmoke_80]

Willy Thanks, yes I am using whole seed cumin and plan on toasting it.

[Mosca]

Thanks Mosca, and if I may ask how is Mrs Mosca doing? I hope all is well.

Thanks for asking, she's okay right now. She had another allergic reaction to her chemotherapy. The first time she tried it she had chest pain. The next time they tried it, they did it at half speed, and she was fine, but the next day her pulse had dropped to 38. After that stabilized the sent her home, and now they've come up with a different combo of drugs. The first one, carboplatin/paclitaxil, was good because it attacked the cancer at different times in its life cycle. The new combo, cisplatin/ifosfamide, attacks the cancer indiscriminate of its life cycle, but through different paths. But the cisplatin/ifosfamide is really hard on the subject; it will be three day regimens, inpatient, an hour away. The carbotaxol is much easier to tolerate.

For now, though, she's doing okay. Standard chemo concerns: white cell count, hair loss, etc. But she went to work Wednesday and today. And Tuesday she won a couple hundred at the casino, I heard tell (our daughter went with her).

[Powersmoke_80]

Nice to hear she is doing OK and casino winnings are a plus!

[Dr ROK]

Glad to hear she is doing ok. Prayers for successful treatments with as few side effects as possible!

[gcdmd]

Gambling winnings, cost of clothing (especially shoes), cost of smokers, grills and firearms are frequently works of fiction.

[Swug]

I bought Tuffy Stones’ "COOL SMOKE" cookbook. He has a recipe for smoked chili powder in there. I put it in all kinds of things including chili soup. I love it.

[Attjack]

I don't buy chili powder anymore. I make my own by simply buying dried chilis from a tienda or the Mexican section at the supermarket. There are of course Asian varieties that are readily available as well. I de-seed and toss them into a magic bullet until I achieve the desired powder consistency. I have not yet dialed in any special ratios though but perhaps I will in the future.

[mrteddyprincess]

I agree with you Attjack . I have also boiled them to rehydrate and used a hand blender to turn them into sauce and made chili with that. It works well.

[rickgregory]

I started doing this, though I also have a bottle of store-bought for casual use. But if I'm making a large pot of chili, I do what Attjack does, with1 addition... I microwave them for 30 seconds to 'toast' them. It beings out some of the oils and they'er much more fragrant. Does it make a difference? Not 100% but... come on 30 seconds.

I will say that you don't want to make a big batch. Ground spices lose that freshness quickly, so make what you need for a recipe.

[Potkettleblack]

I've never really used chili powder, as I like more cumin, and add stuff.

My old base chili recipe was Jane Butel's Pecos River Bowl o Red: https://sallybernstein.com/food/reci.../bowl_red.html

I add more cumin that she recommends, start with beer or beef stock instead of water... tweak it a bit. Add cinnamon. It is a 4 pepper hot chili, so maybe adjust the chile a bit.

Then I found the Kenji recipe:

https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2015/01/pressure-cooker-chile-con-carne-texas-red-chili-recipe.html

The Kenji recipe uses too much liquid for an instant pot, like way too much, so I reduce the amount of chicken stock to the minimum to cover the chiles in the microwave. I tweak his recipe, also... use short ribs, or chuck or brisket... smoke instead of sear, adjust the seasoning. I get the peppers from the local mexican markets. One advantage to living in the Latino Earmuffs of Chicago (even after moving), is that there's no lack of mexican ingredients even at the big grocery.

Note: Chili is the word for the finished dish. Chile is the word for the peppers that make up the flavor.

[Mosca]

I still have my 40 year old copy of Butel’s Chili Madness!

[Potkettleblack]

I had my dad's original copy, but bought a newer version, that has way more stuff in it. And yet, Pecos Bowl o Red is pretty much my favorite.

[Hulagn1971]

When I use cumin, I'll take the whole seeds and either toast them in a CI skillet or microwave a little then grind them with a mortar and pestle.

[BFlynn]

I used to make my own chili powder. Makes a huge difference!! This is a good starting point.
http://chile.netrelief.com/recipes/h...r_recipe.shtml

I double the chile de arbol. For the "New Mexican reds" I split the difference between Big Jim and Sandia. My in-laws would bring them back from NM for me. You can play with the pepper blends.

Biggest advice for making chilli powder. Wear gloves! Don't touch your eyeballs!

I've stopped making it, now that I've found a near replica in our local grocery.

[gcdmd]

Not just your eyeballs, but other sensitive parts of your anatomy, or someone else's, as well.

[BFlynn]

"Like" is the wrong button.... .but you're not wrong