Chili Cookoff Stuff

Chili Making Tips and Rules

Here is a sample winning recipe
Competition Chili is puristic. No beans, spaghetti, macaroni, rice, hominy or other filler items are allowed.
Heat is no substitute for flavor, and the chilis are judged on flavor, not heat. While a nice spice heat is part of chili, try to temper your urge to cook the hottest chili at the cookoff.
The chili will be judged on taste, color (should be a reddish color), and consistency (should be nice and thick, not runny).
Please note that many of the chili cookoffs we traditionally enter may also include competitions for other types of chili (not described here) such as Green Chili or Vegetarian Chili. Also, salsa competitions are common as well.

Some Common Mistakes Made by First-Time Cooks

First-time chili cooks often allow the seeds of fresh tomato or fresh peppers to float in their chili. The floating seeds detract from the looks of the chili gravy.
Exotic meats have been used as a gimmick and have given the judges giant doses of heartburn. Stick to beef and small quantities of pork, ingredients that have been traditional to chili preparation for decades. Be careful in the selection of the meat and avoid allowing gristle or chunks of fat to float in your chili. The selection of a lean cut of meat will ensure a minimum of grease to "frame" your chili sample.
Winning chili is that perfect blend of spices which serves to light up the taste buds and to intoxicate the palate. As a first-time competition chili cook, you may be challenged by seasoned cooks who already have discovered that a blend of spices which allows a single spice to predominate the flavor of the chili often will not obtain the flavor of the judges. Be careful not to overdo one spice to the exclusion of all others.
The chili most likely to win will possess that spectacular and elusive marriage or blend of well cooked meat and a smooth, rich looking gravy. Of course, this blend must taste good. Don't allow poorly cut vegetables such as tomato, onion, and garlic to float in this gravy. The use of powders is one way of getting away from this problem. Grinding of the spices and other ingredients goes a long way to achieve the look most pleasing to the judges. Any vegetables used should be finely minced.
Cooks with experience will select a cut of meat that is marbled, has a reputation for flavor, and is not too tender that it would cook down or cook away. Seasoned cooks stay away from sirloin and other very tender cuts of meat.
Don't panic at the last minute before preparing your sample for the judges. Stick with your recipe. Of course, a minimal amount of "tweaking" in the final 20 - 30 minutes of cooking can help your chili, but aviod last minute major adjustments.
Let the chili cook without excessive boiling and try not to stir the chili constantly. Both these processes, in excess, will break down the chili meat and create mush. It is recommended, however, that you bring your chili to a boil for the purpose of adding your spices.