Chili (Award winning if I do say so myself).

Every year for the past 7 years, the first week of deer season, we have a cook-off.  The first few years it was a chili cook-off.  Then it was a soup cook-off and last year it was a wing cook-off.  I buy 1st and 2nd place prizes for the winners.  The competitiveness and the cook in me want to be part of the cook-off too though.  So, I enter and I’ve won many times with my chili, my soup and my wings.  Since I am the hostess (with the mostest) though, I obviously won’t claim my own prizes and they go to the next two runner-ups.

It’s always a good time with lots of good food and great friends.  I think our biggest year was the soup cook-off with 13 pots of delicious soup!  We kept blowing fuses in the garage with so many crock pots full of soup plugged in…ha!  It’s a time to brag about your deer you shot (or cry about the one that got away), it’s something to do when it’s cold out (we’re talking the 3rd week of November in MI) and you get to fill your belly with great homemade food and other goodies.  Yes, good times at the Shaw household 😀

I normally make a huge pot of chili for the cook-off, so I’m going to cut this recipe down for you.  This makes 8 generous servings.  Don’t let the long list of ingredients scare you.  It’s all in one pot and it’s simple to make.  Really.  All the ingredients just make it that much better, trust me on this one.  I iz a winnah! 😉

Chili

1 1/2 lb. ground sirloin
10 oz. chorizo
1 T. red wine vinegar
1 t. cumin
1 T. worchestershire sauce
1/2 t. oregano
1 T. paprika
2 T. ground black pepper
1 T. kosher salt
1 T. hot sauce
1/4 c. chili powder
1 T. dried minced onion
1 T. minced garlic
few shakes of sage
4 pieces of bacon
few shakes of dried cilantro
1/2 can of Bush’s medium chili beans*
1 T. syrup or agave nectar
1 (15 oz.) can of tomato sauce
4 c. beef broth
dash of red pepper flakes

Shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream and chopped green onions – optional

In a large cooking pot cook the bacon until crisp.  Set aside on a paper towel.  Leaving 1/2 tablespoon of bacon grease in the pan.  Add the ground sirloin and the chorizo and cook until browned.  Drain the grease off the meat.Add all the other ingredients except the bacon.  Simmer for two hours. 

Add the crumbled bacon to chili and serve while hot.  Garnish with cheese, sour cream and green onions if desired.  This chili, in my opinion, is even better the next day and that is usually when we eat it.  Oh, and with cornbread, have to have the cornbread.

(Thanks to google for the above image, I forgot to take a final picture and this is very close!)

*My hubs is not fond of beans but, I try to sneak in a few because I like them.  He then proceeds to pick every single one out of his chili.  So, add the whole can if you like or omit them altogether if you’re not a bean fan.

If it’s still hot where you live, I hate you, bookmark this for the fall.  I guarantee you won’t be disappointed 🙂