Chili contests

I'd like to find a chili contest / cook-off that is open to the public. I am interested in trying a wide array of styles and shapes and colors that others consider top-notch. I've done some Googling, but nothing has come up nearby.

Anyone know of a central location for many pots of simmering sauce, bubbling beans and meaty meat?

ChgoMike wrote:I'd like to find a chili contest / cook-off that is open to the public. I am interested in trying a wide array of styles and shapes and colors that others consider top-notch. I've done some Googling, but nothing has come up nearby.

Anyone know of a central location for many pots of simmering sauce, bubbling beans and meaty meat?

(bolding mine)


Any self-respecting chili contest would disqualify entries with beans!

I'm mostly kidding. I like chili too, so if no one posts to tell us where to find a contest, maybe we should organize one.

there is a chili contest in Shannon ill that runs the same weekend and location as the Illinois BBQ Championships although you will have to wait until next July

There is a chili contest in addition to the larger BBQ contest at Lambs Farm in Libertyville the weekend of October 16th and 17th. It looks like you might be able to get your chili fix there!

http://www.lambsfarm.org/events/

yeah, but that's just south of Canada.

MKL wrote:There is a chili contest in addition to the larger BBQ contest at Lambs Farm in Libertyville the weekend of October 16th and 17th. It looks like you might be able to get your chili fix there!

http://www.lambsfarm.org/events/

i forgot about that one..its a peoples chocie
you pay a few bucks for a spoon and then you go to each site where they are cooking chili and sample ..you then vote on your favorite

There is a local chili cook-off on Sunday, October 11th, at Lunar Brewing, 54 E. St. Charles Rd. in Villa Park (630-530-2077). The tasting starts at 3:00 p.m. Admission is six non-perishable food items. There are 12 entries. I went last year and there were some definate winners and some definate losers. A nice way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

This thread and several prodigiously large farmers market tomatoes and peppers prompted what's on the stove at the moment. Loosely combining Kennyz and elakin's methods and madness, I browned pork chorizo and ground round, removed most of the fat, pushed the meat over to the side in the dutch oven and sauteed onions and three kinds of fresh peppers with a swirl of olive oil and pre-toasted spices, then added chopped heirloom tomatoes, chipotles en adobo, a tiny bit of brown sugar, tomato sauce, and half a Smithwick's. My wife's portion (transferred to a second pot) will get the beans about 40 mintues before serving time in a few hours, I prefer straight meat. I'll report back. It will of course be better tomorrow and perfect on Thursday.

Sounds good, S. What time should we arrive to your abode on Thursday?

Santander wrote:This thread and several prodigiously large farmers market tomatoes and peppers prompted what's on the stove at the moment. Loosely combining Kennyz and elakin's methods and madness, I browned pork chorizo and ground round, removed most of the fat, pushed the meat over to the side in the dutch oven and sauteed onions and three kinds of fresh peppers with a swirl of olive oil and pre-toasted spices, then added chopped heirloom tomatoes, chipotles en adobo, a tiny bit of brown sugar, tomato sauce, and half a Smithwick's. My wife's portion (transferred to a second pot) will get the beans about 40 mintues before serving time in a few hours, I prefer straight meat. I'll report back. It will of course be better tomorrow and perfect on Thursday.

I hope the other half of the Smithwick's tasted good.

I've always lamented the bean ban on chili contests. I understand that they can be perceived as 'filler', which is the same reason they won't allow pasta in your chili.

However, some nice refried beans can add a nice back-of-the-palette flavor to chili, and give it an awesome texture as well.

My local watering hole here in Bucktown, The Charleston, has an annual chili contest (beans welcome), but it's not 'til the end of February (somewhere around the third week, usually). It's a benefit - tasters pay a small fee, and the winner gets to pick the charity that receives the proceeds. There are typically some pretty good entries, along with some oddities (as in, "does that really qualify as chili?") and, as always, a few that taste like nothing more than ground beef, canned tomatoes and dried basil.

If anyone's interested in attending/cooking, I'll try to post a reminder closer to the event.

The Charleston
2076 N. Hoyne
Chicago, IL 60647
http://www.charlestonchicago.com

Yoiu want a chili fix...

Go to Terlingua, Texas in early November for the International Chili Cook-off. But it's an invitational, and no beans are allowed. You can't get there on the CTA, either

You get to sample a lot of chilis, and the emphasis is NOT on heat, but on flavor nuances. Terlingua is not at the end of the earth, but it's close.

ChgoMike wrote:Sounds good, S. What time should we arrive to your abode on Thursday?

The GP wrote:I hope the other half of the Smithwick's tasted good.

Sadly, the chili didn't last until Thursday, or I'd PM you the address, Mike.



I'm not sure which half of the Smithwick's tasted better (hard to improve on that), but the chili was damn good. Pepper notes outshined the tomato, which is what I wanted, although with the chorizo and chipotles in adobo I certainly didn't need the added smoked Spanish paprika. Heat was like slow magma on the front of the spoon but dissipated quickly, making it suitable for family consumption with some homemade brown sugar cornbread and sour cream.

You just missed the annual Homewood chilifest. It draws a huge crowd here in the southern suburbs, and is an all day event, complete with live music, plenty of beer, crafty things and children's activities (including a petting zoo). Proceeds go to local charities.

I'll alert you well in advance next year. It's a really nice neighborhood festival and a block from my house.

Suzy