Chiles in Chili on a Chilly Day

Today temperature is in the brisk mid-20’s. My team has been planning a chili cook-off for weeks, and I was lucky enough to get in on the event. Sign-ups for chili, sides, and condiments filled the SharePoint site and crock pots were hauled into the office as the team gathered around the conference room to fill their bellies with the slow-cooked concoctions.

There were eight chili entries, and everyone voted at the end on their favorite. One vote each, no categories, no run-offs.

Chili 1 – Traditional – Made with ground beef and speckled with corn, this chili had a consistency not unlike a sloppy joe. It was slightly spicy, but the “traditional” chunks of beans and tomatoes were not present. It was hearty and well-peppered.

Chili 2 – Traditional – This is what everyone thinks of when you say “chili.” Thick chunks of beef, big pieces of tomatoes, onions, garlic, beans, cumin. In a delicious twist, by comparison, this one tasted a tad sweet, I’m guessing they used a pinch of sugar to balance the tinny flavor of the canned tomatoes.

Chili 3 – Chicken white bean – Ground chicken was used along with spinach and fennel, giving an herbaceous, and lighter flavor than the other chilis. Dubbed a “healthy” chili, this one also had more of the sloppy joe texture, less soupy.

Chili 4 – Vegan – Think chili 2 but no beef. Without the meat, it took on a lighter flavor, and was easier to eat more. Extra variety of beans and corn gave more textures and I ate smaller spoonfulls to taste out the individual flavors.

Chili 5 – Beef and chorizo – The beef had been cooked in the oven, then topped with chorizo for the oil to permeate the beef. Pulled apart, then added to the crock pot with the tomatoes and other additions. The result was the soupiest of the chilis, and the chorizo didn’t add too much of a spicy kick, but the flavors melded and enhanced one another wonderfully.

Chili 6 – 4-bean – As mentioned in my last post, this was my entry. Sautéed onion and garlic in bacon grease, added to pinto beans, black beans, cannellini beans, and kidney beans, along with tomato, salt, cumin, and pepper. I found chile peppers in the grocery store and decided to roast the over open flame, then dice them for an additional kick.

Chili 7 – Turkey – Another health conscious variant, the ground turkey was almost indistinguishable from ground beef, except that it was lean and light. Similar to chilis 2 and 4, it was a traditional approach that stayed true to form and flavor, while sidestepping calories.

Chili 8 – Three pepper steak - Dark and meaty are the first two words that come to mind. Blade steak was cooked in a pan, chopped and added to the pot. The pan’s fond was deglazed with beer then added. The chiles, spices and xanthum gum (a low carb alternative to using corn starch) were blended before being combined with the onions and garlic and beans, making the “sauce” portion of the chili thicker and richer.

My vote ended up going to the chorizo chili, which ended up winning the contest. The steak chili was a very close runner up. It was great to have the team come together over lunch, especially as I am so new. Thank you to everyone, let’s do this again! Pasta? Soup? Salad? Cupcakes? Pie (Maybe on March 14^th?)….