We have had a Chili Cookoff at work over the past few years. Rather than having a few judges, everybody who wants to sample gets two tickets to drop into a box on the floor under the table in front of the two they like best.
The first year I went with a straight Texas-style meat only (chuck roast) chili that came in Second. The winning "chili" was a very good tasting White Chicken Chili brought in by one of the popular managers and made by his wife. More of a chicken stew, but I don’t want to sound like "sour grapes".
The next couple of years I went with things modified to, in my mind, please the most people, but never did quite as well.
This past weekend, after asking a bunch of questions here to get thoughts on making a Sous-Vide version of chili, I ended up making what basically amounted to my original recipe, enhanced by smoking the chuck roast, onions, (a la Meathead’s recipe) and jalapeno peppers, and less the carrots (no SVQ). I also added red kidney beans and black beans because I like them (and find the red and black pleasing to the eye ). It was the best chili I ever made. If there’s another contest at work (it is held around Halloween), that’s what I’m gonna make.
As an aside, some people like to "bottom" their chili with pasta (I’m not a fan, but will do it at home if asked), some like rice (and I do too), but my absolute favorite is to take a handful of Chili Cheese Fritos and dump my chili on top of that. Oh, yeah.
The first year I went with a straight Texas-style meat only (chuck roast) chili that came in Second. The winning "chili" was a very good tasting White Chicken Chili brought in by one of the popular managers and made by his wife. More of a chicken stew, but I don’t want to sound like "sour grapes".
The next couple of years I went with things modified to, in my mind, please the most people, but never did quite as well.
This past weekend, after asking a bunch of questions here to get thoughts on making a Sous-Vide version of chili, I ended up making what basically amounted to my original recipe, enhanced by smoking the chuck roast, onions, (a la Meathead’s recipe) and jalapeno peppers, and less the carrots (no SVQ). I also added red kidney beans and black beans because I like them (and find the red and black pleasing to the eye ). It was the best chili I ever made. If there’s another contest at work (it is held around Halloween), that’s what I’m gonna make.
As an aside, some people like to "bottom" their chili with pasta (I’m not a fan, but will do it at home if asked), some like rice (and I do too), but my absolute favorite is to take a handful of Chili Cheese Fritos and dump my chili on top of that. Oh, yeah.
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