Chili Cookoffs

[Huevos del Toro]

In case it has escaped your attention, we’re well into chili contest “season”.

Who’s sponsored, entered, or judged a cookoff? Where? When?

If you’ve been a sponsor, contestant, or judge, tell us about it.

How should a first-time contestant prepare in order to enhance their chances of placing in the money? Do you have tips and tricks you'd like to share?

Photos?

CASI(Chili Appreciation Society International) rules.

So, you’ve been asked to be a judge!

Insight into the art of judging.

[fifi]

That is funny. It makes me wonder about being a chili judge. But not that much. I would love to do it. Does anyone know how you get that job?

I only participated in a chili cook-off once. It was part of a project "team building" exercise. I toned down the hot pepper content thinking that the largely "Nawthen" audience wouldn't appreciate the heat. The criticism of my chili was that it wasn't spicy enough. Goes to show that you never know.

[Richard Kilgore]

Great topic, HdT. There are numerous chili cookoffs, but I guess Terlingua is the one that started it all. Do you have a list of chili cook-offs around the state? If not, we could compile one here.

[Jaymes]

Speaking of chili, Huevos (if I may be so bold as to call you by your first name), I pulled up your chili recipe from the eGullet archives. It says, "1 Hunts tomato sauce or El Paso Green Chili Tomatoes."

That prompts a few questions.

First -- canned tomato sauce is considerably different than a chunky tomato and green chili mixture. Did you really mean that as an "OR" thing? Or as an "AND" thing.

Second -- "1 Hunts tomato sauce." 1 WHAT "Hunts tomato sauce"? 1 can? 1 big can or little can? 1 cup? 1 gallon?

Help me, Huevos. Help me.

[fifi]

Jaymes...

I made Huevos' recipe last weekend and used Ro-Tel tomatoes. I also played with the recipe a bit in that HEB had these beautiful poblanos and fat jalapenos. I added 1 poblano and 3 jalapenos, diced, with the onion. I also didn't have any Mexican chocolate so I used a couple of teaspoons of unsweetened cocoa powder. (He does say that the chili is a "work in progress". )

Uuuh... that is a kick-ass recipe. It is my new all time favorite. I think I will have another bowl for lunch.

[Huevos del Toro]

Speaking of chili, Huevos (if I may be so bold as to call you by your first name), I pulled up your chili recipe from the eGullet archives.  It says, "1 Hunts tomato sauce or El Paso Green Chili Tomatoes."

That prompts a few questions.

First -- canned tomato sauce is considerably different than a chunky tomato and green chili mixture.  Did you really mean that as an "OR" thing?  Or as an "AND" thing.

Second -- "1 Hunts tomato sauce."  1 WHAT "Hunts tomato sauce"?  1 can?  1 big can or little can?  1 cup?  1 gallon? 

Help me, Huevos.  Help me.   

Re; the tomato sauce and tomato/chili mixture. Yes, it's both OR and AND! Confusing, eh?

Sometimes I use both, other times I'll pick one according to my mood. I've also used Rotel tomatoes. The tomato sauce can is larger that the small paste can, maybe two or three times the volume. I just don't have one at work to look at!

As far as I'm concerned the only two constants are the cut of beef, prepping it, and the mix of spices. Everything else is open to individual interpretation.

If I were able to go back in time I'd thank the Chili Queens of San Antonia for what they started!

[Huevos del Toro]

Great topic, HdT. There are numerous chili cookoffs, but I guess Terlingua is the one that started it all. Do you have a list of chili cook-offs around the state? If not, we could compile one here.

Richard;

You can find a list of CASI sanctioned cookoffs here.

Note: I'm not promoting CASI specifically. There are a lot of other cookoffs as well. It's just easier to find information on the "officially sanctioned" ones.

[Alex]

I entered several chili cookoffs in the late 70s to early 80s, when I lived in Detroit. This was back in the days when winning a sanctioned local cookoff got you an entry to the big one in Terlingua. I remember one in particular that was sponsored by Jim Lark very shortly after he opened his wonderful restaurant (The Lark). I made a complex chili using coarsely ground chuck, fresh tomatoes, onion, garlic, celery, peppers, chili powder, oregano, garlic, red wine, and cinnamon. The feedback I received was that it tasted wonderful but wasn't the kind of chili that wins contests. In general, I found that the winning chili was predominantly meaty/beefy, with the herb/spice component coming through next, followed by a medium amount of heat. Tomatoes/veggies played only a minor supporting role. That was 20 years ago, though (yikes!), so perhaps tastes have changed.

[Mayhaw Man]

While I was busy googling on H. Allen Smith and his wonderful book "THe Great Chili Confrontation" (now out of print, but it is available in my truly awful public library so it will most likely be available in your system) I found this website that I thought might interest some of you.

Back to the H Allen Smith book-It covers the origins and results of the original cookoff that was held in Terlingua, TX in 1967. It contains lots of highly opinionated (and hysterically funny) anecdotes about chili and the culture surrounding it. As someone who weighs in heavily on the side of beans in my chili, I disagree with some of the conclusions of this book , but I still reccomend that anybody who has an interest in chili cookoffs take the time to read it.

H Allen Smith was a newspaper columnist and humorist who had a lifelong love of chili and a long running public debate with a couple of other columnists as to the proper way to prepare and eat chili and as to waht ingrediants it should include (he was not a fan of the noble kidney bean ).

[guajolote]

I remember one in particular that was sponsored by Jim Lark very shortly after he opened his wonderful restaurant (The Lark).

would this be the infamous "hoffa chili"?

[Huevos del Toro]

The Godfather of Chili, Francis X. Tolbert. May he rest in peace and have a bowl of red in front of him.

[Huevos del Toro]

Terlingua, Texas

A pecan shell history with background on Francis X. Tolbert and Wick Fowler, whose chili mix was first marketed in 1964 and is STILL being sold today. I've used his 2-Alarm Chili Mix and for such a simple combination of spices it's amazingly good.

[Alex]

I remember one in particular that was sponsored by Jim Lark very shortly after he opened his wonderful restaurant (The Lark).

would this be the infamous "hoffa chili"?

Nope, that was the chili at Machus Red Fox.