CAS Award winning Chili

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foamheart

Gone but not forgotten. RIP
Original poster
OTBS Member
Long ago, I started making chili. When I moved to New Mexico and we had snow days I started making chili for the employees, then customers started dropping by, then I had to start cooking on a large natural gas fired pot. After a few years of this and doing for friends and at the camps, I decided to try the CAS now they added an I, so its the CASI. I scored points, I got ribbons, cups, trophy's, but didn't have the time nor wanted to travel enough to really score. 

I never made it to Terlingua as a contestant, but came dang close (I did enjoy a few fly-ins there though).

This is the family's secret recipe which myself and my Pop always have in our wallets in case of an emergency. My great uncle who was a butcher, who gave it to the small town's drug store owner, who gave it to my Pop, who in turn gave it to me. It came out of a little bitty town in West Texas called Rule, Tx. So that's the story. Here's the chili.

It was cold today and all those small pieces of brisket I have trimmed out came out the freezer! The rest is always stocked in the pantry for occasions like this.

I will post the recipe I used today below, just slightly altered from the competition recipe.

I didn't have any pork so I just went with brisket meat, coarsely chopped, even the course blade for the grinder is really too small. Brown the meat, add onions and garlic and cook to translucent.  


This is the secret cowboy magic cow patty powder were all the good stuff happens. Please note that the good china is a matched set <chuckles>


Added the magic cowboy dust to the browned meat.


Tomatoes, normally I go with whole tomatoes something about squishing them between your fingers makes the chili special. Today I added diced tomatoes and a can of Rotel because this is is not really from the families recipes AND true chili is NOT hot. If you want hot, add it.


And its all in the pot, making happy sounds, for a few hours. Should be done in time for the Ball Game!


The above chili recipe

3 lbs of small cut brisket

Beef fat, about 4 to 1 meat to fat (chunked also)

3 garlic toes

2C while onions (chopped large)

30 oz. spring water

2 @ 14oz cans tomatoes

1 @ 12 oz can of original Rotel

The magic powder (the real stuff)

4T Chili powder (make your own is better)

2.5T flour

1T cumin

.5T salt

1T sugar

1/2T Ancho chili powdered

There no cayenne, ghost, peter, nor another pepper in this pot except homemade chili and Ancho.

The last picture, just a reminder chili like roux burns quickly so don't leave it unattended, even to play on the computer.


Here is "THE" recipe, make sure you have friends around.

4 lbs. brisket, course cut

1lb. Pork roast, course cut

1/2 lb. Suet

4C white onions, chopped large

6 toes of garlic (Minced)

30 oz. spring water

14 oz. beef consume

90 oz. Whole Tomatoes (Good Italian Plum)

Cowboy cow-patty magic dust

8T chili powder (Home Made)

5T flour

2T cumin

1T salt

2T Molasses

The above will completely fill an #14 DO

Best with Cheddar cheese, soda Crackers, Fritos, and Dois Equis Beer.......

Thanks for dropping by, and bundle up out there!
 
Such a fabulous story with this wonderful photo spread of food!

So very enjoyable and fantastic!!!

Well done - as always with you - and so heartwarming and wonderful via the history attached to the flavors!

Cheers! - Leah
 
Hi Kevin,

Thanks for sharing a recipe which has so much personal significance as well as accolades attached to it!

Which of the recipes above do you prefer? Ancho chili powder vs. molasses....hmmm, tough one.

My husband loves chili, and I always make a big batch to send to deer camp for him and the other boys. I'll need to give your recipe(s) a try and see if I can step up my game with them!

Thanks for posting, and have a great day!
Clarissa
 
Thanks for the Recipe. It is interesting and refreshing to hear a comp guy say that Award Winning Chili is not supposed to be Hot...I have developed a Chili recipe we enjoy, I have not competed but friends have taken 2 Second Place wins with it, that has a touch of warmth but is nowhere near the Hot that so many talk about. Do you find the Judges taste for heat and assorted Spices, Ohio's passion for Cinnamon in Chili, varies by Region? For instance, do you think Judges in Texas and Louisiana expect more heat than those in say, California or New York?...JJ
 
I have no idea what magic cowboy dust is or where to get it.  Could you furnish a recipe or where to get it so I can make this chili.  It sounds very good to me.

John
 
I need to add this to my "to do" list, Foamheart. Looks great, not complicated, and I love ancho chili. Thanks for sharing.
The only time food is complicated is when it something out of your normal realm. Most of the best food you'll ever cook comes from what you are used to fixing. Chili was cowboy fare, meat, wild onions, dried peppers, a little flour from the biscuit barrel. Sling it up on the tripod, and make some taters and biscuits. Its perfect for a crowd and it freezes well in ziplocks.
 
Such a fabulous story with this wonderful photo spread of food!

So very enjoyable and fantastic!!!

Well done - as always with you - and so heartwarming and wonderful via the history attached to the flavors!

Cheers! - Leah
Well thank you Ma'am, chili is like gumbo or chicken and dumplin's around here.
Hi Kevin,

Thanks for sharing a recipe which has so much personal significance as well as accolades attached to it!

Which of the recipes above do you prefer? Ancho chili powder vs. molasses....hmmm, tough one.

My husband loves chili, and I always make a big batch to send to deer camp for him and the other boys. I'll need to give your recipe(s) a try and see if I can step up my game with them!

Thanks for posting, and have a great day!
Clarissa
You are most welcome, Remember its not hot, unless you make it that way. You can eat two big bowls w/ beer and not have to look for the Tums. The one I made last night with the Rotel and ancho is my personal twist, so I like it. The other was for cook-offs and to me was a basic chili to refine to my taste. My secret to chili preparation is brisket and cut up rather than ground. Ground meat over cooks easily, also in talking with some of the old chuckwagon hands they always chopped it because they didn't want to dirty a coffee grinder. Roswell NM has a huge yearly Chuckwagon round-up and its a great place to learn from the best.
 
Thanks Kevin.... I'm always in for a good chili..... Dave
You are most welcome sir, cold days just beg for a warm bowl to warm up the insides.
 
Thanks for the Recipe. It is interesting and refreshing to hear a comp guy say that Award Winning Chili is not supposed to be Hot...I have developed a Chili recipe we enjoy, I have not competed but friends have taken 2 Second Place wins with it, that has a touch of warmth but is nowhere near the Hot that so many talk about. Do you find the Judges taste for heat and assorted Spices, Ohio's passion for Cinnamon in Chili, varies by Region? For instance, do you think Judges in Texas and Louisiana expect more heat than those in say, California or New York?...JJ
You know, in my cooking experience I learned one thing. The person who is consistently happy with their food, and enters enough will sooner or later win something. Chili has more variants that smoke or BBQ. I have seen the most ridiculous stuff that I couldn't even call chili win, ist all about the judges whim at the time they taste it, Color, texture, aroma, taste leaves a load of elbow room for local interpretation. I really think that if you know what the judges expect their chili to taste like you have the upper hand. The cook-offs that involve a large venue normally require large pots to be make, but you see the majority of those looking for points targeting the small local events that offer the same points for a sauce pot cooked over a Coleman stove. In one night in the RV, cook the next day, and gone that evening. Making all the small competitions they can get to.

Actually it is quite the opposite, the northern chili judges think its supposed to be hot and spicy while the Texas NM judges prepare the good old style. One of my favorite competitions is Las Cruses during the Chili festival, and that's the chili pods, not the prepared chili. Its like walking thur Toys-r-us as a chili cook with all the peppers. I always spent a fortune there and I miss it!
 
I have no idea what magic cowboy dust is or where to get it.  Could you furnish a recipe or where to get it so I can make this chili.  It sounds very good to me.

John
The magic Cowboy cow-patty powder is listed above, I would use the one with the Ancho pepper in it. Just be careful and don't start thinking you need more and more and adding and adding.... chili tastes different while cooking that eating, go with the recipe, and doctor it your way in the bowl. You might find ya like as it is. You may want more pepper or onions, nice thing about chili you can always add more, but ya can't take it out. Heck my Pop is as Texan as it gets and he eats this chili with crumbled up soda crackers and ketchup.
 
Thank you sir.  I must be getting blind in my old age.  This is a must on my list to  make soon.  Thanks again.

John
 
Outstanding Kevin. I also made note of the absence of the pinto or kidney bean. Never ever allowed in a proper Texas chili.
Looks truly award winning. Shoulda made that Terlingua trip and a pass by the judges
B
 
 
A pot of that would be good today. It sounds good with brisket. Thanks for the recipe!
When its cold, its by golly Chili weather. Or Gumbo, or Chicken & Dumplins...... Food that makes your stomach glow with happiness.
 
WOW!!

The chili looks great. I'm gonna have to "borrow" your recipe.
You are more that welcome to try it. Its not hot and its not spicy, you can add the pepper that you want. Personally Its pretty dang good with the Ancho which tastes like pepper with a earthiness like cumin to it. Goes really good with cold beer, Fritos, and cheese.
 
Great looking recipe Kevin. I really look forward to trying it. 

Disco
Thank you sir, there is no seafood in West Texas to make Chowder. When ever there is some left I put it in the freezer in small Zip locks. I just can't even imagine a hotdog without chili anymore.
 
Looks like a very interesting recipe Mr. Foamheart. I've copied it to my recipe file and will definitely be giving it a try. If it's as good as SoflaQr's fare, it will be a great addition to my chili recipies. Thank you very much for sharing. Great post.
 
We got Texacunz making gumbo… We got Louisianunz making chili…. This place has show gone crazy!

laugh1.gif


Points.  Twice in two days!

b
 
 
A pot of that would be good today. It sounds good with brisket. Thanks for the recipe!
Brisket used to be the cheap meat, brisket, flank, tail, etc. Now steak is cheaper! Someone figured out how good those meats were when cooked slowly with spices. Nothing wrong with BBQ, but chili and fajitas and oxtail or even beef shanks are really excellent meats.

Brisket is tuff enough to stand the amount of cooking needed and has all that marvelous marbling. When cut small instead of ground it just works perfect.
 
 
WOW!!

The chili looks great. I'm gonna have to "borrow" your recipe.
Thank you sir. It is mighty Tastee.

Its an old recipe which has been continuously upgraded, so feel free to make it yours. All over the country people enjoy chili, but not all places make it the same. If you like it, that's good chili. This is extremely mild chili, its how we have always liked it this way. Most folks think chili like Cajun food is 90% pepper, and if they like there's that way, its good chili.

I am always proud when some one wants to try it. I know how Pops feels about his meats.

I hope you enjoy it. Its a good time of the year to try. Its really good when cooked over a wood fire too!
 
Great looking recipe Kevin. I really look forward to trying it. 

Disco
Thank you my friend, I really hope that you and SWMBO'd  enjoy it. If one likes spicy you can do that in the bowl!

One of the nicest things about this chili is you don't need tums after you eat it. Its a tomato sauce that does not cause acid reflux. My Pop says, that you don't have to keep eating it. LOL
Outstanding Kevin. I also made note of the absence of the pinto or kidney bean. Never ever allowed in a proper Texas chili.
Looks truly award winning. Shoulda made that Terlingua trip and a pass by the judges
B
Thank you sir. You gotta remember Pop is from Lipan well actually Santo. Mom was from Rule, but her family is bible thumpers from down near Hamilton/Lampasas.  And I don't consider either of them West Texas. Kermit, Notree's, Frankle City, Irrann that's West Texas!

I have made a few trips down to Terlinga, Alpine, Marfa. Terlinga is  just an old dirty worn out hole in the wall place for blowing off steam without repercussion. When its busy in Terlinga its a mad house, when its not, its the most fun you ever had legally or illegally. Met Kenny Rodgers down there when he and some of the cast were down there one weekend. They were shooting some cowboy movie and it was the closest place they could stay.

Everything was legal in Terlinga, and if you took offence you better have something to back yourself up...LOL Its probably all domesticated now, although I can't understand why it would be.
 
Fantastic and thanks for sharing.

I could use some warm stuff right about now!

Mark
You're most welcome man, I hope you get to try it and fine ya like it.
 
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