That's right folks: I'm giving away the secrets of my award-winning chili recipe! If this doesn't cause a stir, I don't know what will.
Last week, SmallBox held their 2nd annual chili cook-off, and my mostly improvised recipe "brought the ruckus" if you will. It tied in votes with Jeb's awesome smoked pork chili, but he conceded, so I won first place!
I kept fluctuating between admitting that I made up the recipe the night before and claiming that it was deeply based on the mythology of the Wu-Tang Clan (9 ingredients to represent the 9 original Wu-Tang members, 4 elements each of texture, flavor, spice, and personality = 36 chambers of flavor, etc.), but ultimately I created this recipe to be an ideal, classic, undeniably tasty chili.
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| The chili cook-off trophy at my desk |
1) Quality Ingredients - I was almost obsessive when I picked out the right onion, the right package of ground beef, healthy-looking peppers, etc. This is mostly an acquired skill, but I find it helps if you pretend you are a 90-year-old sushi chef, hunting down the perfect items at a Japanese market (not sure why this is my chosen fantasy, but hey, whatever works).
2) Attention to Detail - This is a big deal. I'm sure this recipe will seem ridiculously long and overstuffed with details to some, but I want to try to re-create it with precision. The order in which each ingredient was added, the time-consuming preparation of the ingredients, and avoiding a few shortcuts were all important factors. That said, be willing to experiment until it's exactly how you like it.
3) The Brand - Yeah, it was a goofy move to name my chili after the Wu-Tang Clan. I love their music, and I don't know if they would love my chili or its concept. But it helped make the chili more fun, special, and memorable to everyone who tried it. In any case, Wu-Tang was the inspiration, and I think inspiration helps.
So without further ado, here's the recipe. Hope it works out well for anyone else who attempts to make it. My apologies if you hate it!
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 large white onion, diced by hand (the smaller the better, but don't use a machine)
1 shallot, minced by hand
6-8 cloves garlic, minced (yes, by hand. Just assume it's by hand unless I say otherwise)
1.1 lbs ground beef (80/20)
2 serrano peppers, seeds removed, diced
1 large red chili pepper, diced
1 can mexican-style pickled jalapeño slices, drained and cut into fourths
1 can "hot chili beans with sauce" (do not rinse!)
1 can organic red kidney beans (drained and rinsed!)
1 can tomatoes, diced
1 8oz can tomato sauce
1 cup chicken stock ("Better Than Bullion")
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp cayenne powder
1 tsp onion salt
1/2 tsp cumin
salt & pepper to taste
2 dashes cinnamon (to taste, don't overdo it)
1 Tbsp brown sugar (again, start with half and taste it, don't want to add too much)
1 tsp Sambal Oelek chili paste
1 Tbsp Louisiana brand hot sauce (to taste)
1 pinch fresh ground nutmeg
Directions:
**Note: Many spice measurements were estimated, so you should be cautious with them and ready to taste the chili throughout the process. Step 9 will let you add more spices if they are needed.
1. In a skillet, brown ground beef on medium-high, breaking into very small pieces as it cooks. Drain and set aside.
2. In a separate large pot, heat olive oil on medium-high. One at a time, and in order, add onion, shallot, garlic, serrano peppers, red chili peppers.
3. Add 1/2 chili powder, 1/2 cayenne, 1/2 onion salt, all cumin. Sautee ingredients on medium. Cook until it smells awesome.
4. Add hot chili beans, rinsed kidney beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce. Cook and stir until heated through. Reduce heat to medium-low.
5. Add cooked/drained ground beef and the rest of the chili powder, cayenne, and onion salt. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook until heated through.
6. Add chicken stock, Louisiana hot sauce, cinnamon, brown sugar, and increase heat to medium. Cook until chili reaches a low boil.
7. Add Sambal Oelek (chili paste), jalapenos (drained and cut small), and fresh nutmeg. Stir.
8. Cook on low to medium-low for 20-30 minutes, stirring frequently.
9. Taste it and see if there's anything else that needs to be added.
10. Go ahead and have yourself a bowl; you deserve it.
11. Refrigerate overnight, then reheat on medium, adding 1/4 cup of water to bottom of pot when you start reheating.
12. Enjoy! Hopefully yours tastes exactly like mine did (I thought it was great on it's own and didn't need cheese or sour cream or anything else).
but you NEED the sour cream and cheese! i also like to add a bottle/can of domestic beer, some wine, and a shot of rum. but i'm also an alcoholic. also balsamic vinegar. and some butter. this does sound awesome, though! we must make some chili jon!
ReplyDeletethat was from ryan reidy. sorry dude. i thought i was signed into google or whatever.
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