Mr. Foodie Does Chili

If the Chili Cook-Off inspires you to make your own, here’s how to do it

A few years ago, amid Chili Cook-Off hubbub (for details on this year’s festival, check the sidebar), I was inspired to head home and create my own chili recipe.

Since then, I’ve tweaked and fiddled with my recipe. I’m not good about writing down exact “amounts” of “ingredients,” but I’ve come up with a few Mr. Foodie Principles of Chili-Making:

1. Use as many organic ingredients as possible. In winter (chili weather), canned organic tomatoes have much better flavor than most fresh tomatoes. Get the best meat you can. During the mini-ice storm in November, I used some awesome ground beef from Harter House.

2. Don’t go overboard with heat ingredients. Since it takes time to learn which hot peppers you like, start by just using chili powder and maybe some red-pepper flakes. Then move on to fresh hot peppers later. Start with Anaheims; they are just a bit kicky. Canned chipotle peppers have an interesting smoky heat; jalapeños are just plain hot. Poblanos are a variation on jalapeño-level heat. Habanero peppers (say “hah-bah-NER-oh,” not “hah-bah-NYER-oh”) are too hot for most Midwestern taste buds. (Double-dare ya to try one.)

3. Add “depth ingredients” to your chili to balance the heat ingredients. Add a bottle of decent beer. I like Boulevard Wheat or Michelob Amber Bock, and I keep meaning to try something heftier, such as a porter. Garlic is good. I like to add about 5 tablespoons of preserved minced garlic (sold in mayo-sized jars at most supermarkets). Finally, add a few shakes of cinnamon and nutmeg to the pot. It’s not as though you can taste these twee little spices when the pot has finished cooking, but they mellow the flavor in a background kind of way.

CLICK HERE TO READ MR. FOODIE'S FAMOUS CHILI RECIPE.

Muy caliénte!

If your chili isn’t all you dreamed it would be (or you just want to eat a bunch of everyone else’s) you won’t want to miss the Sertoma Chili Cook-Off, which is this Saturday, February 17, at the Springfield Expo Center (635 E. St. Louis St.).

All Chili Cook-Off proceeds will go towards the Boys and Girls Club of Springfield’s new gymnasium at Grant Beach Park. Tickets are $7 in advance, $10 at the door, and can be purchased ahead of time at Dillon’s and Price Cutter stores.

In addition to the beefy, tomato-y and spicy goodness there will be live music from Tripwire, The Unmistaken, Howie & the Hillcats, Silver Hammer Band, The Mark Chapman Band, Moore-Healey, Cindy Woolf, Loose Ends, Lyle Strickland and Eddie Gumucio. Live and silent auctions are also planned. —Matt Lemmon

26th annual Sertoma Chili Cook-Off
Springfield Expo Center
10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Tickets: $7 in advance, $10 at the door
sertomachilicookoff.com