TOC Chili

Rumor had it that Time Out Magazine was offering a cape, crown and the title of Chili Queen to the winner of their chili cook off. With that much glory on the table, I submitted my entry faster than you can say “habenero.” On Saturday night, armed with 6 quarts of chili in a crockpot, I gathered with 24 other contestants in a bar called the Hideout. Plugging my crockpot into the wall, I waited patiently for the chili to heat up. It didn’t. An hour passed. Rooster discovered a microwave sitting across the room and shuttled batches of beans back and forth until my “Chile Relleno Chili” was warm enough to kill bacteria if not to scald tongues. The crowd poured in.

While I ladled sample portions into dozens of plastic cups and Rooster garnished with sour cream, we marveled that so many people would willingly press chest to back in a windowless room while consuming roughly 40 gallons of chili. At the end of the tasting, most of the party headed outside despite the 35-degree chill and I won 2nd prize. No cape, no crown, but I am eternally grateful for my seven dedicated friends who tasted two dozen chilis and didn’t complain of stomach cramps the next day.

The Rules: Write 50 words about why your chili "kicks ass." If selected, make 6 quarts of chili and bring it to the Hideout in a crockpot. Wait for popular vote to determine the winner.

The Prize: 1st place-- a gift certificate to local restaurant and a crown and cape; 2nd place-- a gift certificate to local restaurant

The Entry: Chile Relleno Chili (revised from "what a crock" which detailed a terrible tasting mole chili)

3 tablespoons corn oil
3 yellow onions
4 carrots, peeled and diced
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
2 tablespoons Guajillo chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1/8 teaspoon cloves
6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
30 ounces canned tomatoes
30 ounces pinto beans, drained
3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
30 ounces black beans, drained
2 bay leaves
2 pounds smoked chicken apple sausages
8 poblano peppers
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Serve with:
Shredded cheese
sour cream
chopped green onion
cilantro

In a large chili pot or enamel covered cast iron skillet, heat the corn oil until hot but not smoking. Chop one of the yellow onions into a medium dice. Sauté the chopped onion, the diced carrots, the chipotle peppers, the chili powder, cumin and cloves for one minute, stirring constantly. Add 4 cloves chopped garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the canned tomatoes (including juice), the pinto beans and 2 tablespoons of the sherry vinegar. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Remove half of this mixture to a food processor and blend until almost smooth, adding chicken stock to smooth out if necessary. Return blended mixture to pot and add the black beans, the bay leaves and the chopped chicken-apple sausages. Simmer for 1 ½ hours, stirring constantly so chili doesn’t stick to bottom of pan.

While chili is cooking, cut each of the poblano peppers in half (through the stem). Remove seeds and stems. Arrange peppers, skin side up on a broiler sheet and broil until skin is blackened and puffed up. Don’t over-broil as you will dry out the delicate pepper flesh. Immediately remove peppers into a tightly covered bowl or sealed Tupperware container. Allow to cool and steam for at least 45 minutes. Peel skin off peppers and cut into thin strips. Set aside.

Slice remaining 2 onions into thin strips. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet. Sauté onions in olive oil over medium high heat for 20 minutes until caramelized. Stir in 2 remaining cloves of chopped garlic. Set aside. When chili is done cooking, stir in poblano strips, caramelized onions. Season the chili with remaining 1 tablespoon of sherry vinegar, salt and pepper. Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, cilantro and green onion.