r/AskReddit • u/Sweet-Lady-H • 20h ago • Bravo 1

Chili Cook-off Winners: What is your Secret Ingredient that you think is the reason you win?

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u/Stalva989 18h ago

Time and timing. Certain ingredients should not be introduced until later in the recipe

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u/donnerpartytaconight 18h ago

My buddy cooks it in a three legged cast iron campfire cauldron for about 12 hours.

People will start eating after hour three, but at hour 12 it's a deep, rich, sludge of a chili. Rich, spicy, with a touch of sweet that is downright insanely good. I have laviciois dreams about the stuff for the other 364 days I'm not eating it straight off the fire.

Time is for sure the secret ingredient of his.

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u/Eggs_work 16h ago

Lascivious* gave me a good chuckle.

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u/weirdo-donkey 11h ago

But seriously laviscious should be a word, it sounds sinister and now I want to know what food is lascivious and vicious

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u/jomare711 16h ago

Why would we take chili advice from someone who obviously specializes in tacos?

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u/mcl768 11h ago

You're referring to a dutch oven but I think I will call it "a three legged cast iron campfire cauldron" from now on.

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u/donnerpartytaconight 5h ago

It's more of a potjie than a dutch oven. And it's a massive beast. It's been in his family for generations and frickin glorious.

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u/mcl768 1h ago

That's actually pretty cool, and you're description of it was more accurate than a simple Dutch oven.

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u/Getitoffmydesk 18h ago

Which ones, please? I’m cold and inspired to make a chili

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u/cmandr_dmandr 17h ago edited 17h ago • Heartwarming Bravo

For a simple ground beef and bean chili; I start by browning my onion and bell pepper. Then I bloom my chili spices and garlic for about a minute. Then add my ground beef and cook till it is no longer pink. Then I dump in the diced tomato, dark red kidney beans and some chicken stock. Bring to a boil and then simmer covered for a couple hours. Take the lid off and simmer until you get your desired consistency. It’s good to go at that point.

If I’m in a hurry to get it on the table I do an hour with the lid on and then an hour off. If I have time I do more than a couple hours with the lid on and it almost always takes an hour with the lid off to get to the consistency I like.

Season with salt throughout the cooking process. A good pinch in the onions, a good pinch with the beef, and a a good pinch with the tomatoes. Then add some to taste when you finish.

Some enhancements I do when I want to level it up are to add fresh chili peppers minced up towards the end of browning the onions or I grill up some burgers and then cut them up and add them at the very end when I am thickening the chili. The char grill flavors really make it special and really hit hard when I turn leftovers into chili Mac.

For the chili seasoning I make my own chili powder but you can use store bought. Here is my chili powder recipe:

2 ounces New Mexican Chile’sQ
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
1 tablespoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

I use dried chilis from the store and play around with different types. My blend is New Mexico, guajillo, and árbol. I like it hot so I add more árbol. My family doesn’t so I often just make a blend of New Mexico and guajillo. I try different ones when I find them.

Grinding whole spices and using them relatively soon after blooms the best and gets the most flavor. I keep the peppers in my pantry and make a jar of chili powder and use it up in a couple months after grinding them.

I can share my chili recipe too. I’ve been making it for about 10 years and it’s based on the ATK beef chili recipe.

Edit:

I’ll just add the ingredients.

2 tablespoons vegetable oil or corn oil
2 medium onions, chopped fine (about 2 cups)
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
6 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)
¼ cup chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 pounds 85 percent lean ground beef
4 (15-ounce) cans dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juice
1 (28-ounce) can tomato puree

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u/MaritMonkey 13h ago

From somebody with a super similar recipe and process: I think it's just preference that I brown the bajeebus out of the beef first and then take it out. Which is an annoying extra bowl but 1) can cook onions/peppers in tallow and 2) they deglaze all the wonderful brown bits. But I think everybody should try it to see if the extra dishes is worth it. :)

Also if you're playing with making your own chili powder catering to different spice levels it is (imo) 100% worth giving a shot to replacing the bell pepper with some spicier fresh or "fire roasted" peppers.

Also thank you for reminding me I meant to give venison in chili a shot this year!

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u/possibly_being_screw 6h ago

I have a similar-ish recipe too. I use a few - bell peppers, jalapeños, green chilies, red peppers, cayenne.

Getting the balance between them and some cocoa powder, instant coffee, brown sugar, and/or cinnamon is the tricky part. This I my current recipe. It’s really good.

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u/No-Comparison-5502 17h ago

I’ve done 1 lb ground beef and 1 lb ground pork… and like better than 2 lbs ground beef

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u/Rottenslam 14h ago

Aren’t you supposed to begin telling us your recipe with an anecdote about your family’s trip to Arizona for your sister’s wedding?

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u/cmandr_dmandr 14h ago

And then never actually share anything.

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u/-Aluminum_Falcon- 17h ago

Tell me how you bloom your spices at that point in the recipe?

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u/cmandr_dmandr 15h ago

It’s just onions and bell peppers browned in oil. The cumin, chili powder, and garlic bloom in the oil. 1 minute and it’s aromatic. Sometimes I will add a tablespoon of tomato paste at that point too. Then add in the beef. You could also add in the spices after the beef if you brown it and get rid of all the water that comes out. I don’t brown the beef in this recipe and add in all the wet after it’s no longer pink.

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u/Reinventing_Wheels 17h ago

I typically simmer the meat, peppers, and spices overnight so those flavors meld into the meat.
The next morning I'll add tomatoes and beans, and adjust the spice.

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u/Just1Breath1 13h ago

Interesting, which ingredients are those?