Hi, this is Lisa's husband Eddie, guest blogging my award winning chili based on popular demand (mostly from my wife).
I tried a number of different approaches in the following years, including a purist Texas style chili that shunned beans and ground beef in favor of unadorned hunks of stew meat simmered in what I thought was an excellent balance of chiles and spices. “Delicious”, someone told me after I placed third, “but it’s not really chili”.
The award winning chili had beans in it. And I had to admit it was much better than mine, in part because it had three different kinds of meat in it, including sausage.
Determined to come up with an award winning chili, I narrowed my sights to multiple-meat chilis and came upon Guy Fieri’s Dragon Breath chili, which is the recipe I’m adapting here.
This chili contains chuck meat, Italian pork sausage and ground beef plus three different kinds of peppers (poblano, Anaheim and jalapeño) which results in excellent flavor, texture and heat. And my version has a little something extra! Fieri‘s recipe calls for either bacon grease or canola oil to sauté the aromatics. Easy choice I thought, but it’s not as if you can buy bacon grease so I got a 12-oz package of bacon, cut it into small pieces and rendered the fat myself. It produced just about the right amount of fat, but also an interesting byproduct. As I looked at those cooked bits of bacon I thought “who am I kidding? Those are going into my chili!”
Also Lisa advised that I use three different kinds of chili powder to add a depth of flavor to match up against the three (now four actually) kinds of meat and three types of chili pepper. Finally, my taste in beer steered me toward an IPA rather than the lager suggested by the original recipe.
Aside from those differences and the fact that I brown the meat separately instead of in with the sautéed vegetables, the credit goes to Fieri for an amazing recipe, especially his use of spices which generates a level of heat that is just on the edge, which in my view is where a chili should be.
My chili won two cook-offs outright including one against Dean’s award winning white chicken chili.
It also took best meat chili in a third competition (lost to a vegetarian in the all-around that year) and came in a very close second to Dean’s white chicken chili in another cook-off that was heartbreaking for me.
Against a field of roughly 20 chilis and with hundreds of votes tallied, Dean and I were counted up exactly even to tie for the win and the medal was awarded jointly to us. In what has since become known as Chili-gate, I later that day discovered that unlike the previous competition, the cooks were not allowed to vote. I conceded that I had in fact voted and presented sole ownership of the blue ribbon to Dean. I kidded him that my vote was for his chili (it wasn’t).
HERE'S HOW TO MAKE EDDIE'S AWARD WINNING CHILI:
This chili takes time to prepare and involves numerous ingredients, but it's totally worth it and the basics are straightforward.
Start by roasting, peeling and chopping the chiles. Keep a close eye on them while they are roasting - things can escalate quickly.
In the meantime, cut up and fry down the bacon to provide the grease to use for sautéing (and the bacon itself!). You then sauté the chiles and vegetables in the bacon fat, remove them and brown the meat in the same pot.
Then add the spices, the tomato sauce and paste, chicken broth and beer and simmer for two hours.
Lisa asked me to advise you that if you want to be a little healthier you can skim the fat off the surface periodically which, in my opinion, for this dish is sort of like saying that if you want to be a little safer when you go cliff diving, wear knee pads. But anyway consider it mentioned.
No skimming was involved when I took first place in the cook-offs. And if you really want a healthy chili option, try this vegetarian chili or this Turkey Chili.
I also want to say that it is great to have a sous chef alongside when you prepare this chili, preferably Lisa.
One final note: for my taste the heat level is perfect, but if you want to tone it down, the best way is by reducing the amount of cayenne pepper.
Here's my award winning chili recipe. If you make this please come back to leave a comment and let me know what you think.
Eddie's Award Winning Chili
- Total Time: 3 hours 45 mins
- Yield: 10-12 1x
Description
A fantastic award winning chili con carne, with beef, pork, three kinds of chilis, a perfect balance of spice and heat.
Ingredients
- 3 Anaheim chiles, roasted, peeled, chopped
- 3 poblano chiles, roasted, peeled, chopped
- 12 ounces of bacon, cut crosswise into ¼-inch strips and sautéed until almost crisp. Reserve 3 tablespoons of bacon fat.
- 3 tablespoons bacon fat (rendered from the bacon)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (canola, grape seed or your favorite)
- 2 red bell peppers, seeds and ribs removed, diced
- 2 jalapeno peppers, seeds and ribs removed, minced
- 2 yellow onions, peeled and diced
- 1 head garlic, peeled and minced (10-12 garlic cloves, 6 tablespoons minced garlic)
- 1 pound boneless beef chuck, trimmed of fat and gristle, cut into ½-inch cubes
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
- 3 tablespoons chili powder (Try using 3 different chili powders for great depth of flavor - I use ancho, chipotle and Mexican)
- 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (Half this amount for less heat)
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons granulated garlic
- 2 teaspoons granulated onion
- 2 teaspoons hot paprika (not smoked)
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups tomato sauce (passata, not ketchup for those in the UK)
- 8 ounces tomato paste
- 12 ounces of your favorite beer (I use an IPA because I like the hoppy flavor)
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 2 15-ounce cans kidney beans, with juice
- 2 15-ounce cans pinto beans, with juice
- Optional Garnishes:
- 1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced or 1 red onion, finely chopped
- Shredded cheddar cheese or Monterey Jack
- Sour cream
Instructions
- Roast the Chilies: Preheat the oven to broil (500ºF) Set an oven rack at the top, directly under the broiler. Spread the chiles out on a low-sided oven tray and roast for 15-20 minutes, turning peppers with tongs every five minutes, until their skins are about 60-70% blackened on all sides. Put the hot peppers directly into a paper bag. Roll down the top of the bag so they're tightly contained. Let them sit and steam for 15-20 minutes until the skins are loosened and easy to peel off. Peel off skins, remove seeds and membranes, and chop.
- Sauté Chilis and Aromatics: Add the bacon grease and oil to a large heavy pot or Dutch oven (6-quart), over medium-high heat. Add the chopped chiles, red bell peppers, jalapeño peppers and onions. Cook for 5 minutes or until the vegetables just start to become translucent. Add garlic and cook 1 minute longer. Transfer all the sautéed vegetables to a bowl and set aside. No need to wash the pot, you'll use it to brown the meat.
- Brown the Meats: Add the cubed beef chuck to the pot and cook, stirring often, until lightly browned on all sides, about 4 minutes. Add the ground beef and sausage and cook for 7-10 minutes, stirring to break up the sausage and ground beef, until the meat is no longer pink. Return the cooked vegetables to the pot along with the reserved bacon.
- Add Spices: chili powders, cayenne, coriander, cumin, granulated garlic, granulated onion, paprika, salt and black pepper. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Add the Rest of the Ingredients: Add the tomato sauce and paste. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes, to combine. Add beer, chicken stock, kidney beans with their liquid and pinto beans with their liquid. Bring to a boil, lower to a simmer, and cook for 2 hours, uncovered, stirring occasionally.
- To Serve: Ladle chili into bowls. Top with garnishes or put garnishes into small bowls for self serve.
Notes
Should you drain and rinse the beans? In my experience draining and rinsing the beans is not required. If you're someone who feels otherwise, by all means drain and rinse - the outcome will still be terrific!
- Prep Time: 1 hour 45 mins
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Camilla
Hi! I made this for our last New Years party, for 50 people! It was a huge hit and I’ve made it several times since 🙂 Thank you!
Alfred
How much does one batch of this recipe make approximately?
Larry Besk
Just made this one. A lot of work but damn is it worth it. Serving over cheese and cornbread waffles. Tasty,
Andy C
I live in London and have cooked this 5-6 times now pretty much per the recipe (usually tweaking some chilli types and adding sweet ones and a little sugar and chocolate) - it always came out great with a really layered flavour profile. I always buy too much IPA amd have to drink what's leftover (oops)
Great Recipe - Thank You!!!
Eddie
Thanks for leaving a comment Andy. I also live in London currently. Tough to find the right peppers, but there are always other options. Yup, shame about that IPA thing - I have the same problem myself sometimes...
Erin
Hey! Really looking forward to trying this recipe! I’m cooking for a church chili cook off where everyone is pretty strictly anti alcohol. I don’t mind cooking with it as I know the alcohol cooks out but I don’t want to offend anyone if they were to find out. Do you think apple cider vinegar in the same amount would be a good substitute? Any advice appreciated! Thanks!!
Eddie
Hi Erin - I certainly understand the predicament, but I wouldn't add that much acidity in place of the beer. Try chicken stock, beef stock or non alcoholic beer. My personal feeling is that beef stock might work best. Best of luck in the cook-off!
James C
Hi Eddie! Thanks for the great recipe, just a quick question. I’m currently cooking the chili but I halved the recipe, do you think I should still cook it for 2 hours or closer to one since it’s less amount? Thanks for your advice 🙂
Eddie
Hi James - this is probably coming too late but the cooking time shouldn’t be much different when you halve the recipe. I’d assume the same - perhaps give it a taste with 15 minutes left. The time here is pretty forgiving anyway.
Ed
Hi. Just wanted to give you some feedback and say thank you. I made this chili today and it turned out great. At first I felt like maybe I should tweak it a bit, but I also felt I should make it as prescribed first to see the results. I did want to ask if there is a specific reason for you not using tomatoes in this recipe. I really like tomatoes and will probably add them next time I make it. The heat/spice was just about right by the way. For my beer I used a blue moon belgian white. I also wanted to add that this chili would also be perfect for chili dogs or chili fries! I'll look for your reply and thanks again.
Eddie
Hi Ed - thanks for the comment and the star rating. I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe as is and I do think it makes sense to try a recipe as prescribed just to see how it tastes before tweaking. There is no specific reason I don't use tomatoes - certainly there are a lot of tomatoes within the tomato sauce and tomato paste so I think their flavor is well represented, but in terms of whole tomatoes I never tried that. Please let me know how it works for you. All the best!
Tracy
Thank you Eddie...I finally won 1st Place yesterday at our vlubs 8th annual Chili Cookoff!! I say finally, because I've pkaced 2nd & 3rd in other years, but never 1st. I followed the recipe in its entirety and added 1 can of traditional Rotel tomatoes and a few drops of liquid capsaicin to just up the heat a smidge. I loved the meats used and that bacon & sausage made all the difference.
Kasey Peterson
Curious as to the exclusion of worshishire sauce and using chicken broth instead of beef? Sounds great and doesn't have my usual ingredients
Eddie
Hi Kasey - I don't have much of an answer for you other than the recipe I adapted used chicken broth and no worcestershire sauce. There is so much flavor in this recipe already I am not sure it needs other ingredients but feel free to try these adjustments and if you do, let me know how it turns out.
Clayton
Great Recipie!
Used a slightly modified version yesterday in a chili cook off and took first. Had to cook 5 gallons so it was almost quadrupled! I believe the roasted peppers made a big difference. I left out the beans this time (I personally love the beans), in south louisiana, chilli is not usually with beans. I used ground chuck and chuck stew meat, made a really lean chilli. With 16 lbs of meat (chuck, Italian sausage and bacon) there was only.a cup of grease to remove. A competitor removed almost a half gallon!!
Again, great Recipie! I will do it again!
Eddie
Congratulations Clayton. Wow - 5 gallons is a lot of chili. You certainly earned it! I get the thing about the beans.
Ed Taylor
I've made the dragons breath with my own tweaks and win cookoffs on three different occasions. My grandson who has always been involved decided he wanted to give yours a try and with a few minor tweaks of our own we took first place again at a 13 pot cook off . great recipe
Thanks, Ed
Eddie
That's awesome Ed. It's a wonderful thing to cook with your grandson I imagine. He must have been very proud of the first place finish!
Josh
Eddie,
Thank you for the recipe. Your chili just sweep the TTF King’s Bay command chili cookout. The only change I made was, the cookoff was first thing in the morning and a guy at work recommended to let the chili sit in the refrigerator over night. Turned out great. If you are ever in southeast ga, I owe you a beer. Thanks again.
Josh
Eddie
Hey Josh - I totally agree about the power of leaving the chili to sit overnight. I do that myself when I enter a contest mostly because there is no other way I can get it done before bringing it in to work, but I also came to find it improves the flavor. Congratulations! I don't get down south much but I sure appreciate the offer and possibly one day will be swinging through.
darren dale
Hi from UK we cooked this recipe today and can honestly say is best we ever had . We couldn’t find different types of chilli required so just used green chilli instead but was very good ! Thank you
Eddie
Hi Darren - I live in the UK these days too and have the same issue with getting the right peppers, but you can get close enough I have learned.
Andrew
Thanks for this awesome recipe Eddie my wife and I just tried it today and the flavor was spot on! My wife keeps on taking sample tastes while the chili is simmering 🙂 We didn't had the anaheim peppers and IPA but it's ok we'll try to add those next time. This one's for keeps.
Eddie
Hi Andrew - so glad you and your wife enjoyed this chili. Yes, tough to stay away from those little sample tastes, but helpful too if there are any adjustments to be made. Enjoy!
Nicolle
Best chili I’ve ever made—and really the best I’ve ever had! It was a lot of work, but so worth it. The texture is simply amazing. Thank you so much for sharing it!
Eddie
Thanks for making my day Nicolle. Glad you enjoy this recipe - yes, I agree the texture is a big part of what makes this special.
Suzy
I have to say I just won the chilli cookoff at our church for the Knight’s of Columbus. The chili was voted the best hands down with no one coming in close. The comments were glorious and I was embarrassed by all the compliments and attention!!! This is the best chili I’ve ever tasted and so worth the effort. It was fun to gather the different ingredients and then watch the expressions on the faces of the judges!!
Eddie
Congratulations on your win Suzy! Sounds like you did a fantastic job making this recipe.
Manon
I will be making this recipefkr this Saturday's chili Cook off. Can I simmer the chili in a crock pot instead of the stovetop? If so, how long should it simmer in the Crock-Pot?
Eddie
Hi Manon - I am so sorry I missed this comment before the cook-off. For the future, I am attaching a reply I posted for the same question a while back:
Hi folks – I don’t use A crock pot for this one but I am guessing it would be great. Perhaps this link would be helpful: https://www.thekitchn.com/5-tips-for-converting-recipes-to-the-slow-cooker-189343
Jenn Thompson
Found this recipe just in time for National Chili Day tomorrow! I added diced carrots and a touch of vinegar. Just had a bowl, it's very balanced and delicious. I will add more slice next time around. Thanks for the share!
Sheila
Hi Eddie - Do you drain the meats after browning? I don't see a reference, so I'm not sure if this step is understood or left out by design. 🙂
Can't wait to try the recipe........thx!
Eddie
Hi Sheila - I don't drain the meat after browning, the juices become part of the chili. As discussed in my recipe, you can skim the surface of the pot from time to time to reduce the fat content a bit if that's behind your question. In any case, good luck to you!
Lauren
Enjoying this recipe tremendously! Brilliant...
I never drain the fat off of anything by the way ha!
Dee
You're right. It's a winner! I won in a 12 pot cook off!
Eddie
Congratulations Dee! Well done!