Should I enter a chili cookoff?

[Duanessmokedmeats]

yes, Do It!

[Draznnl]

Good decision, I think. Best of luck to you. Have some fun with it.

[bbqLuv]

Beans, beans the Chili fruit
When you eat don't spill on your suit
But in a comp, you'll get the boot

[Mosca]

Beans, beans the Chili fruit
When you eat don't spill on your suit
But in a comp, you'll get the boot

Not back East you won’t.

I’m making it without beans, and also making a side pot of RG Rio Zape beans. Because it’s okay to serve beans on the side, and it’s okay for folks to add them to their own bowls if they want to. The only wrong move is to force the beans into the chili. (Unless you are making it for yourself and you want beans all the time, or everyone whom you know will be eating it also wants beans all the time as well. Under that circumstance, it is simply expeditious to add them while cooking.)

[bbqLuv]

A server at Buster's BBQ said she adds beans to Buster's Texas Chili when she has some.
It is a good chili made from leftover brisket.

We add both pinto and black beans to our chili.

[Potkettleblack]

I love to tell the story of my dad and the 1979 Terlingua International. I think I’ve told it here.

Short version is we drove down in a hatchback, dad’s Chili stand and cooking gear and me in the back, from New York City down to Austin, Texas. He was making a green pork chili at the time, with tomatillos. Every taster who came by was pleased with the flavor, but unsure if it was really chili, on account of it being green and my dad being from New York City… obviously, when the judging happened, you couldn’t blind judge the green pork chili against 30-40 red beef chilis, but he did well enough not to be last. Apparently, there were worse sins than being green, porky and from New Yorky.

that led to his Red Revenge, which is more or less the base for chili that I make to this day.

the answer to “should you enter” is always yes.

[Mosca]

Great story, no I never read it here!