a few questions from a rookie

Do you marinate your chili meat and if so what in?

Any helps appreciated. I'm getting ready for my first chili cook-off this weekend, and am least trying to make up with knowledge what I lack in experience.

Most comp cooks would think it ought to taste like beef.

I can't think of any reason to marinate it.

Tom

Only marinating that happens with my chili is the night it sits in the fridge after a day long cook. Let the natural flavors meld and set in.

Okay thanks for the help. Only reason I asked was I saw a few people in other threads mentioned marinating. I think I'll just go with the day long cook and fridge though.

Second question, I've heard alot of good recipes add chicken broth, but it just seems sacreligious to add chicken anything to chili. Anyone want to weigh in on chicken broth v. beef broth, bouillon cubes, etc. ?

I've added a packet of beef or chicken broth, along with some liquid to my chili. I like booze in my chili best.

Chicken broth works well. Also add a Tlbs of peanut butter, yep peanut butter.

beef or chicken or vegetable stock- any and all are acceptable- sometimes though, I add a touch of strong coffee- I usually soak my chilis in hot coffee before I add them to the pot and there's all that flavor in the coffe- so I toss that in also. And of course, the tomatoes come in their own juices.

Alright thanks, the chili has been under way for a couple hours now. I'm going for thickness so I added some tomato paste and it seemed to do the job. I haven't seen that suggested anywhere though, good or bad idea?

Masa harina thickens it up.

quote:

Originally posted by jordanmclonghorn

Alright thanks, the chili has been under way for a couple hours now. I'm going for thickness so I added some tomato paste and it seemed to do the job. I haven't seen that suggested anywhere though, good or bad idea?

If you added beans, the thickness will come as the beans start breaking down.. Even when your done, if it looks thin, wait till the next day. Once the flavors and juices soak in, it will thicken on its own.. I cook my chili roughly 6 hours.. Seems perfect when I'm done, but the next day it's thick as paste. Normally thins out a bit when ya reheat it for serving, but there's been times I've needed to add a little water or V8 to thin it..

I was under the impression that beans were not allowed in chili cooking competitions.

Jordan,

You are on the right track regarding marinating the meat for a chili competition. It does have to be a special chili marinade though. The more exotic the better. Obtain a few ounces of rattlesnake meat as well as about 8 ounces of armadillo meat, a few chunks of cactus a bottle of Lone Star beer. Put it all into a blender and hit liquefy. This is your marinade.

Seasoning is also important. Recent competitions favor a lot of heat and even Habanero does not cut it anymore. You have to be better than the competition. Use black gunpowder, it looks like black pepper but tastes better and is very dramatic in presentation. Mix a bit in for flavor but for your thickening agent use saltine crackers floated atop the chili with plenty of the reserved gunpowder on top. This is where your creativity comes into play, use a propane torch and lightly let the flame ignite the gunpowder as the judges admire your work. The crackers will melt into the chili and instantly thicken it as you take your bows for best presentation among the surviving judges.

Of course, I am having a bit of fun with you Jordan, but I do believe you are having a bit of fun with the thread.
Anyway, if you are for real, good luck. Your chili just might be so different that it could win. Also you might want to obtain "The Great American Chili Book" by Bill Bridges. It is one of the best written on the subject.

Maybe I'm having a little bit of fun, but the questions are real, and I really am in my first chili cook-off.

Unfortunately beans are a no can do. I'm from Texas and thats sacreligious. The tomato paste seemed to work fine though. By the end of the day it was the consistency that I wanted.

Its in the fridge now, so all thats left is to wait till Sunday afternoon to pop it out and warm it up for the Superbowl. I'll post the full recipe I used if its any good.

Well believe it or not it turned out to be pretty good, in fact I won the cook-off. Although I don't know how good the competition was since my grandpa decided to play a joke by using Wolf Brand and came in second. Either way it was pretty good, so as promised here's the recipe.

3 lbs. ground beef sirloin
8 ounces breakfast sausage (I believe it was Hormel "hot")
4 strips bacon (I fried it in a pan and chopped it into small pieces)
2 cans of spicy rotel
1 can of chicken broth
1 small can of tomato paste
5 tbs. chili powder
-took 5 or 6 dried new mexico chilis, cut in half, took out the seeds, baked at 300 for 5-10 minutes, put in blender with a some fresh oregano, cumin, and garlic powder, and pulsed until it turned to poweder.
2 tsp cayenne pepper
5 tsp cumin
2 tsp oregano
salt to taste
2 tsp fresh ground pepper
take a few other fresh peppers (whatever they have at the grocery store) cut in half, cook in the oven for 30 min, throw in a blender (it should just chop them up, they were still to moist to turn into powder)

cook it on low in a crockpot for the better part of a day, let refrigerate for a day and then re-heat

edit: oh and I just remembered I had a chopped up white onion in their

Congrats Jordan! That sounds like a great pot a chili to me.
Joe

Lacks beans... shame...

Congratulations, Jordan! The chili recipe looks very tasty...no surprise that you won. You didn't even need to break out the gunpowder! You seem to be a very daring and inventive cook. Keep on daring and sharing with Roadfood.

Sorry if my previous post may have seemed a little snarky, but I do suffer from an affliction. There is a repressed comedian that lives inside me that sometimes escapes and comes out to play.

Wow!!!Sounds like a fantastic recipe-will have to try that on my chili critics!

I enjoyed your post Grey! I don't think Jorden took it the wrong way.

Jorden, your recipe is worthy to be in the "sticky" chili recipe thread here. Maybe you could post it there?

This thread has me wanting to experament with a merinated chili meat. I do steaks for the grill in soy sauce and pickled jalapeno juice. I just blend till it tasts good. I have to stop myself from drinking the stuff, mmm. Hmm, that might work?
Joe