Chile's Chipotle Chile

  • Some of the links on this forum allow SMF, at no cost to you, to earn a small commission when you click through and make a purchase. Let me know if you have any questions about this.
SMF is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

chilerelleno

Legendary Pitmaster
Original poster
OTBS Member
★ Lifetime Premier ★
Participating in a Chile Cook Off today.
I'm using a variation of my 'Chile's Chipotle Chile' which I've done very well in past cook-offs.
Over the decades it has placed and/or won various categories.

It is constructed as a very meaty chile.
But it easily adapts itself to suit many tastes, so if one knows what some judges prefer or look for, you can adjust the recipe accordingly.
And today I'm doing exactly that by adjusting the combination of Chipotle, Rotel and sugar to present a chile that is milder and sweeter.

The original award winning recipe is a large recipe, but with a little foresight it can be adjusted down for family sized pots.

Traditional Beef and Chipotle Chile
Tasty bites of steak in a spicy chile sauce, some onion, garlic and spices not much else.

5-6 lbs of Flank or Skirt steak
Marinated as for Carne Asada, then grilled over high heat.
A heavy char imparts what I consider a most important flavor to the chile
Cubed into bite sized pieces.
10- 7.5ozcans of Herdez Chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
Puree in a blender or food processor.
Sugar, white or brown
Sugar is used if necessary to cut the bitterness all too common with Chipotle chiles. Adjust to taste for bitterness and sweetness, start with one cup and add incrementally.
1 large white onion and 4 large cloves of garlic, roasted, chopped and added into the sauce
Salt, Cumin and Mexican Oregano, spices to taste.

Chile's Chipotle Chile, Original Award Winning Recipe
8-10 lbs of Flank or Skirt steak
Marinated as for Carne Asada, then grilled over high heat.
A heavy char imparts what I consider a most important flavor to the chile
Cubed into bite sized pieces.
8- 7.5oz cans of Herdez Chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
4 - 10oz cans of Rotel
1-2c Brown sugar
The brown sugar is used if necessary to cut the bitterness all too common with Chipotle chiles. Adjust to taste for bitterness and sweetness, start with one cup and add incrementally.
1- 6.8oz size, Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate
This is my secret ingredient, the chocolate gives a wonderful hint of Mole flavor.
1 lb of cooked Pinto or Black beans
6 Bell Peppers, 2 large white onions and 6 large cloves of garlic, roasted, chopped and added into the sauce
Salt, Cumin and Mexican Oregano, spices to taste.

Puree the Chipotles, brown sugar and Rotel together in a blender or food processor and add to stock pot over low heat.
Roast the bell peppers, onions and garlic, then chop and add into sauce.
Grill the steaks over high heat for a heavy char, rest the meat, chop into bite sized pieces and add into sauce.
Add beans.
I usually limit my simmering time from half an hour to one hour maximum.
To me this keeps the flavors of everything distinct, I can taste everything individually and as a whole. When I get a nice bite of steak I can chew on it and enjoy the beefy goodness without it being over powered by the chile sauce.

Chile's Sweet Chipotle Chile
5.25 lbs of Flank or Skirt steak
4 - 7.5oz cans of Herdez Chipotle chiles in adobo
4 - 10oz cans of Rotel
2C brown sugar
3/4 of a 6.8oz bar, Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate
1 lb of cooked Pinto beans
6 Bell beppers, 3 med white onion and 3 cloves of Elephant garlic
Salt, cumin and oregano, spice to taste.


SaeMUgf.jpg

Ready to Puree
lKMcZbF.jpg

Pintos
Vu6Xlbb.jpg

Chocolate
wQ9kc0z.jpg

Roasting the Veggies
EzK84zG.jpg

Chopped Onions/Bell Pepper
IhmWI1S.jpg

Minced Garlic
9JkFGwM.jpg

Sauce, bell pepper, onion, garlic
tJTHSb8.jpg

Skirt Steak on the Grill
NaD2WnB.jpg

Love that Char
EAFSBi5.jpg

XOhr55Q.jpg

Everything
j8V5Zgf.jpg
 
Last edited:
Looks damn good to me. I've added chocolate to my chili before but never that much. Will have to do some rethinking of my recipe now.

Point for sure.
Chris
 
Looks damn good to me. I've added chocolate to my chili before but never that much. Will have to do some rethinking of my recipe now.

Point for sure.
Chris
Thanks Chris.

I never put it all in at once, as shown in that pic I started with half for this large pot.
Like adding salt and other spices, I add in premeasured amount and then go by taste.
Same goes for the brown sugar, I started with 1C and ended up with 2C at the end.
The chipotle chiles in adobo are never quite the same so one must be incremental.
 
Thanks Chris.

I never put it all in at once, as shown in that pic I started with half for this large pot.
Like adding salt and other spices, I add in premeasured amount and then go by taste.
Same goes for the brown sugar, I started with 1C and ended up with 2C at the end.
The chipotle chiles in adobo are never quite the same so one must be incremental.

Makes sense, thanks for the explanation. Next batch of chili I make I'll keep a reserve nearby just in case.

Chris
 
Have to try the chocolate thing...I mean looks good.
We used to have a chili cook off this area, but logistics (mostly security issues and gangs) it went away. It was to raise money for the burn unit Santa Clara. The rules No fillers for judges (ie beans) but for public those were allowed as each team was supposed to make 65 gallons(not surprisingly not met by most teams). We made Chile Verdi after the first year and we were only ones who did. We did get a 3rd place one year (think judges were a little more chili Colorado fans).But we were also one of the crowd favorites. Oh and did I mention we did have a few cocktails during the event.
 
The only change I would make is I would add some other type of green chili,l don’t like bell peppers.
The Bells are mainly for color/appearance, they are subtle at best.
The Chipotles are the stars of the show.
It does look very very good
Thanks
 
Wish I could taste it. You can tell by what went in, that it's going to be awesome.
Oh to be sure... I started by making sure the steak and veggies were edible. ;)
Then taste testing along the way, followed by a few bowls of the finished product to make doubly sure.
 
Chili
I do think that that looks scrumptious, but maybe bell pepper can be substituted with a roasted Anaheim chili...what do you think?
Sure Kit, easily adaptable.
Like I said,
But it easily adapts itself to suit many tastes, so if one knows what some judges prefer or look for, you can adjust the recipe accordingly.
And today I'm doing exactly that by adjusting the spiciness, sweetness and adding optional ingredients such as Rotel, pinto beans and bell peppers.
These are mainly for color.
But I'd not mix Green chiles with the Chipotles, I'd simply not add another chile.
 
My Sweet Chipotle Chile ended up tied with three other entries for 4th.
2nd and 3rd were a tie broken by a designated judge.
1st walked away from 2nd by over 80pts, and it was a heretical Cheesy White Chicken Chile.
Granted it was tasty, but IMHO I thought a classic New Mexico Green Chile Chicken beat it by far.

Had a blast, and I'm so stuffed with chiles I may ruin a bathroom or three.
 
Last edited:
  • Haha
  • Like
Reactions: bigfurmn and kit s
SmokingMeatForums.com is reader supported and as an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases.
Clicky