Del's Award-Winning Chili

I've been making chili since I was in high school back in the 1970s, mostly from the same basic recipe: ground beef, tomato paste, and chili powder. It was all right, frankly, but not great. But in 1995, I found a recipe that had won First Place in the National Chili Cook-off in California that year. I made it one night and it was incredible. Interestingly, it's based on Mexican mole sauce, because one of the key ingredients is chocolate.

I've modified the recipe a bit over the years to suit my taste and have posted my recipe below. Note that, along with chocolate, it uses four types of chili powder. The different chili powders may be hard to find in certain areas, so you can substitute bulk chili powder for whatever chili you aren't able to find. By the way, "real" chili fans wouldn't think of putting beans in their chili, so I've made them optional.

While I was traveling around America in 2001, I got an email from my friend Carole in southern California. She asked if she could use my recipe for a Chili Cook-off in the nearby town of Big Bear Lake and I said, "Sure." She used it and won First Place, so I guess my recipe truly is Award Winning!

This chili won't burn your tongue or make you sweat too profusely (you can always increase the cayenne to make it "Four Alarm Chili" if you want), but it is pretty spicy. Also, it freezes really well, so you can make a big batch of it and then eat it gradually over the next several months. My chili takes a fair bit of time to prepare but is pretty awesome – if I do say so myself!

Del's Award-Winning
Three-Alarm Chili

Part 1:

4 pounds steak (use round or sirloin, not ground beef)

6 teaspoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoons seasoned salt

3 teaspoons garlic powder

2 teaspoons meat tenderizer

2 medium white onions, chopped

2 bell peppers, chopped

Part 2:

2 - 10-oz. can chicken broth

2 - 10 oz. beef broth

2 - 6 oz. tomato paste

4 - 28 oz. can whole tomatoes, peeled, chopped, and drained

10 cloves garlic, finely chopped (or garlic powder)

10 tablespoons Gebhardt chili powder (or a stock chili powder)

8 tablespoons California chili powder

4 tablespoons medium hot New Mexico chili powder

4 tablespoons ground pasilla chili

4 tablespoons ground cumin

4 teaspoons cayenne pepper

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce

2 teaspoons ground oregano

2 teaspoons garlic powder

4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate

Optional:

2 - 27-oz. can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 - 20-oz. can red beans, rinsed and drained

1 - 15-oz. can pinto beans, rinsed and drained

Part 1: Cut meat into 1/4" to 1/2" cubes. Cook each pound of meat separately this way: In a large cooking pot, heat 1 teaspoon of cooking oil, stir in 1 pound of cubed meat, then sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon of seasoned salt, 3/4 teaspoon of garlic powder, and 1/2 teaspoon of meat tenderizer. When the meat is lightly browned, drain off all fat. Saute the chopped onions and chopped bell pepper.

Part 2: Return all the meat, the onions, and the bell pepper to the pot and add all of the Part 2 ingredients (and beans if desired). Stir well to combine. Simmer uncovered over low heat for 3 hours, adding an additional 1 can of chicken broth if necessary. Do not allow it to boil because that will make it bitter. Store in the refrigerator overnight, reheat the next day and eat (chili is always better after it sits overnight in the refrigerator, to allow the spices to blend together).

This recipe makes 8 quarts (approx. 12 pounds). I usually make a triple batch, which will just about fill two 16-quart pots.