Fresno fair cook-off puts a new spin on chili

Published online on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2009

As the weather turns cooler, the craving for hearty meals returns. And chili, with its spicy warmth and thick meatiness, is a meal that will grace many an American kitchen.

At The Big Fresno Fair’s chili contest on Saturday, it still was too warm to enjoy the full comfort of chili. But for this reporter, judging the contest was research for colder times. What would best satisfy my craving? A green chili verde? One loaded with beans? One with chunks of meat instead of ground beef?

Picking the best chilies requires several tastes of each one. When the final tally came in, some very different chilies took the top three spots.

First prize went to Jim Stefanich, whose chili was notable for its colors and consistency. Cannellini beans, black beans and cilantro added hues of white, black and green to this otherwise red chili. The meat — a mixture of buffalo, beef and sweet Italian sausage — lent a variety of textures and flavors.

William Kates, the second-prize winner, created a chunky, spicy chili in honor of his cattle-ranching family. This recipe is for purists who believe chili should contain beef, not beans.

Kates adds seasonings in two batches. The first addition of spices blends well with the chili, but “the longer it cooks, it loses spiciness,” he says. Adding more spices at the end ensures the chili will have some heat.

And Robert Wiemiller, the third-place winner, has two key ingredients in this year’s version of his “nick-nack paddy-wack, give a dog a bowl chili”: Campbell’s tomato soup and a handful of semi-sweet chocolate bits.

The soup was a suggestion from Wiemiller’s mother. And that semi-sweet chocolate added a depth of flavor that set it apart from the other chilies.

Jack Daniels buffalo cactus chili
Makes 12 servings
1 pound ground buffalo meat
1 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage
1 pound (chili grind) ground beef (see notes)
1 cup diced red onions
1 cup diced red bell pepper
1 cup diced tomato
5 ounces Ortega whole green chilies, cut into a large dice (see notes)
1 cup Ortega Thick & Chunky mild salsa
1 cup diced nopales from a can (see notes)
1/4 cup red wine (any type)
2 ounces Jack Daniels Tennessee whiskey
1 cup beer (any type)
2 tablespoons green taco sauce (any brand)
2 tablespoons red taco sauce (any brand)
12 ounces chili sauce, such as Heinz
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon granulated garlic
1 tablespoon granulated onion
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon cumin
1/2 tablespoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon coriander
1/2 tablespoon white pepper
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained
1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, drained
1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, drained
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

In a large frying pan, brown buffalo meat, Italian sausage and ground beef over high heat. Transfer browned meat to a large pot.

Turn the heat to medium, then add onions, bell pepper, tomatoes, Ortega chilies, salsa, cactus, wine, Jack Daniels, beer, taco sauces, chili sauce, chili powder, garlic, onion, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, cumin, mustard, coriander, white pepper and cayenne pepper to pot.

Bring to boil, increasing heat if necessary.

Add beans to pot. Turn down the heat to low and simmer for one hour. Add cilantro just before serving.

Notes: 1) Chili grind is coarser than regular ground beef. 2) Ortega’s ready-diced green chilies are too small for this chili recipe, so dice your own. 3) Nopales are the pads of the prickly-pear cactus. Canned nopales are available in supermarkets and Hispanic markets.