'Heat from Down Under' Chili

This is the recipe we tried at the last company chili cook-off. It will take about 3 hours to cook - assuming all the prep (meat and veg) has been done beforehand. We made 20 gallons, the recipe below is for 5 to 6 gallons. You'll need an 8 gallon pot to cook it in.

It didn't win, but we got good feedback and had fun cooking it!

If ordering in bulk, have the butcher and produce departments do as much prep as possible. If you do have to prep the chilis, wear gloves. Or if you do (like me) end up with capsicum burns - washing hands with rubbing (Isopropyl) alcohol seems to work well.

Ingredients (5 to 6 gallons of chili)

• 5 lb Beef chuck roast (cubed)
• 10 lb Beef tri-tip (coarse/chili ground)
• 5 lb Turkey Breast (or Thigh) (coarse/chili ground)
• 5 lb Chicken Breast (coarsely chopped)
• 1 lb Pancetta (diced)
• 3 x 8oz Chorizo Picante (skin removed, diced)
• 1 bulb garlic - cloves removed, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1 lb Onion (diced)
• 1 lb Celery (diced)
• 2 lb Carrots (peeled and sliced)
• 1 lb Jalapeno Peppers (stem & seeds removed, sliced in half lengthwise)
• Handful of Thai red peppers (stem & seeds removed, sliced in half lengthwise)
• Handful of Banana peppers (stem & seeds removed, coarsely chopped)
• 4 Habernero peppers (whole)
• 1/2 lb Serrano Peppers (stem & seeds removed, coarsely chopped)
• 1/2 lb Cherry Peppers (stem & seeds removed, try to leave whole)
• 2 x 5lb Tin Diced Tomatoes (drained, but reserve the tomato liquid)
• 1/2 Gallon Beer or Lager
• 3 QT Chicken Stock
• 2 cups Chili Powder
• 1 cup Chili Powder to season meat
• Salt to taste
• Olive oil for frying

Chili Powder (makes several cups)

1 lb Dried Ancho Chilis

1 lb Dried Cascabel Chilis

1 lb Dried Colorado Chilis

7 oz ground cumin

Instructions

• Remove stems from chilis, slice open and remove seeds. Chop coarsely.
• I put the chopped chilis through two different-sized food processors, ending with a hand-blender - each time breaking down the chilis into smaller and smaller pieces.
• Finally, use a spice-grinder (or coffee grinder) to get the mixture into a coarse powder.
• Then mix with the ground cumin and your chili powder is ready.
• The powder will be *hot* - so wear gloves or wash hands frequently.

Instructions for Chili (day of cookoff)

(assuming all prep work has been done, and you have two cooks..)

1. Get 2 burners fired up, one with a large wok/frying pan, the other with the chili pot.

2. In the chili pot, get the sauce started: add Olive Oil (say 1/2 cup), then add the pancetta. Cook for a few minutes, then when it starts to brown, add the onion and chorizo. Cook a few minutes, then add the remaining veg (including chilis) stirring well. Add the 2 cups of chili powder and mix well. Cook a few minutes more then the drained tomatoes, stirring well.

3. In the wok/frying-pan, add olive oil. Season 5 lb of chuck roast with tablespoon or so of chili powder, add pinch of salt and start frying. When browned, add to the chili pot, including the juices (tasty fat!) from the meat. Repeat this for the remaining meat, turkey and chicken. It'll take about 20-30 minutes to get all the meat browned and into the pot.

4. Meanwhile, in the pot, start adding some of the liquids: 1/4 gallon of beer, 2 QT chicken stock and a few cups of the tomato liquid - stirring well. Bring to a boil, stir, then reduce heat to a simmer.

5. This should have taken about an hour, now you just leave the chili simmering (uncovered), stir every 5 minutes and add more liquid as needed (chicken stoc, beer or reserved tomato liquid). Do remember to keep stirring, or you'll burn it like our neighboring team did!

6. After about two hours simmering, the chili should be ready to serve. At this point, you can cover with a lid and turn off the heat - it will keep warm! Serve with lime, cheese, chopped cilantro, bread and butter.