Learning to prepare competition beef chili was a fun cooking experience. A couple years back my friend Sue asked me to enter a chili cook off with her. My experience with beef chili growing up consisted of that pre-packed envelope of chili spices that you added to ground beef. Growing up in a very Mexican environment, I always saw chili as a more American dish and something that I really came to love when I moved to Texas. I will never forget when I tasted my first Frito chili pie at Deady Jr. High in Houston, Texas. Wow! I was hooked!
Chili! Frito Pie! Walking Taco!
The debate is still out on where the Frito chili pie first originated, bit I am just happy to have discovered it no matter who invented it. There are many rules and regulations when it comes to preparing competition chili. Most often a typical Texas Red style chili recipe is prepared with no fillers. When I say fillers, I mean no beans, macaroni or other type of fillers. It’s most often straight beef with dry spices, beef broth or bouillon. For today’s recipe I tried to stay true to the “cook-off” style chili to test out the flavors as compared to the homestyle chili I usually prepared with fresh onions, garlic and diced tomatoes. I did use some tomato product, green chiles and beans at the end since we would be enjoying this chili at home. I was happy with the results and would definitely prepare it this way again. Although we did not place for our tasty version of competition chili, I did bring home a trophy for 1st place in the salsa competition! Lol! That’s a whole other blog post…#confessionsofachilehead
Those were big pots of chili!
Chili!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tbsps. olive
- 2 lbs. ground chuck or chuck roast sliced small
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
First Addition
- 6 ounces tomato paste
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon hickory flavored liquid smoke
- 1 packet beef bouillon granules enough for 2 cups of water
- 2 1/2 cups water
Second Addition
- 2 tablespoon dark chili powder
- 2 tablespoons light chili powder
- 1 tablespoon dry mustard
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 ounce Mexican chocolate
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground oregano
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon ground jalapeño or 1 large fresh
- 1 teaspoon beef bouillon powder
- 2 cups water
- 1/4 cup masa harina mixed with 1/3 cup water
- 1 large poblano pepper remove seeds and stems and dice finely.
- 15 oz. can pinto beans drained
- 15 oz. can dark red kidney beans drained
Third Addition
- at this point taste for salt and cumin
Instructions
- In a large dutch oven style pot, preheat the oil to medium high heat until just before smoking. Add the beef and season with 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper and 1 teaspoon granulated garlic. Sauté until meat is nicely seared and somewhat charred in some spots. I start light with the seasonings because you will season as you go.
- Once the meat is nice and seared, add all of the ingredients listed for the First addition. Stir well to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and taste for salt. Cover and cook for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring as needed. You really want the raw flavors of the tomato products to cook out and deepen the flavors.
- When ready, add all of the ingredients listed for the second addition. Repeat by stirring well to combine, bringing up to a simmer, tasting for salt. In a small bowl, whisk the masa harina with 1/2 cup of water and stir into the chili until well incorporated. Add in the green chile (poblano) and drained beans. Continue cooking for another 35 to 40 minutes, stirring as needed.
- Now once you reach the Third addition, this is where you can make the recipe your own by adjusting the spice levels to your taste. I usually end up adding a little more of each spice, minus the salt and a couple dashes of hot sauce. Simmer for another 25 to 30 minutes.
Notes
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I’m going out in this storm to get goodies to make chili…
I made a vegetarian batch last week….lunch today! Xo!
The tips with bacon are for me. Will share with a friend this recipe…Well done!
Thank you Norma….love learning new techniques!
I’ve been making your beef chili for years, but the recipe is different. I might have found the recipe on Hispanic Kitchen… luckily I copied and pasted it. It uses a pound of dry pinto beans and 8-10 dried chili ancho. It’s truly fantastic:
Beef Chili
By: Sonia Mendez Garcia
Ingredients
2 pounds ground beef or chopped beef
1 large white onion diced
5 garlic cloves minced
4 celery stalks chopped
1 large poblano pepper chopped
8 to 10 dried chile ancho or California chile
1 cup tomato sauce
6 oz tomato paste
2 cups fire-roasted tomatoes
2 cups pinto beans
1/4 cup chile powder
3 tablespoons cumin powder
3 tablespoons smoked paprika
3 tablespoons granulated garlic
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons black pepper
salt to taste
1 tablespoon crushed jalapeno or red pepper
1/4 cup worcestershire sauce
2½ tablespoons liquid smoke
6 or more cups broths
1 cup dark beer
canola oil
Directions
In a large dutch oven pot, heat 3 tablespoons of oil to medium heat, add the beef and season with 1 tablespoon each of: cumin, paprika, granulated garlic, onion powder, black pepper, chile powder and salt. Stir well to combine.
While the beef is browning, remove the stems and seeds from the dried peppers, transfer to a heat-proof bowl and cover with really hot water, cover and set aside.
In a food processor, combine the celery and the poblano pepper, pulse and then puree, then set aside. Once the dried peppers have soaked for a good 30 minutes, drain and transfer to a blender, add 1 cup of water and blend until smooth; set aside.
Add the onions and fresh garlic to the beef and cook for a few minutes. Add the celery mix from the processor, stir well to combine, cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Add all of remaining dry spices, tomato products, chili sauce from the blender, Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, beer, broth and 2 teaspoons of salt, and stir well to combine. When chili comes to a boil, reduce the heat, taste for salt, add the beans, cover and cook for a good 2 hours.
As the chili is cooking, you want to keep on tasting. You may want to add a little more cumin, chili powder and salt. It is all a matter of individual preference. If you like it extra spicy, you could add 5 fresh serrano or jalapeño peppers that have been diced when you add your onions and garlic. If you like your chili thicker, reduce the amount of broth. In my opinion, the longer the chili cooks, the better it will taste.