So, I have a pretty great chili recipe that includes a ton of fresh peppers. So much so that I would say that fresh peppers is probably the number one ingredient by weight, or at least close to that.

I know that in most chili cookoffs, fillers like beans and oatmeal are a big no-no.

My questions, for anyone that has participated in a chili cookoff or is otherwise in the know are:

1) Are there rules against using a ton of fresh chilis in your chili?
2) How do you think judges would react to a bowl that included a ton of chunky fresh peppers in the bowl?

In a traditional chili competition the only thing you want visible is the meat so you would be out of the running before you even started. If they have a "homestyle" chili category, that's what you would want to enter it as.

That said, I'm guessing you're not talking about a sanctioned ICS event. Most organization (church, work, etc.) chili cookoffs are judged by hacks who have no idea how to judge a chili. Throw 'em a bowl of whatever you like and hope for the best.

Oatmeal?



What the ever loving phauck?

Uniform pieces of meat and "gravy" only. The first chili cookoff I entered (about 35 years ago - I didn't read any instructions / rules) I literally watched a judge open my container - put the lid back on it, and threw it in the trash. When I asked about it afterward - he told me I should've read the rules.

^^My same question. People need to be warned not to put oatmeal in chili?

Also, if there are chilis showing in your chili, seems ridiculous that would be a problem. It's like being mad someone put ham in your hamburger. Right?...

Wo is the governing body of the chili cookoff, or by whose rules are you abiding?

As a CASI cook, I can tell you nobody uses fresh anything except the meat. As other posters have alluded, points will be counted off tif they can discern anything but the meat. So if you want to dehydrate your peppers and grind in to powder, that's the way to go.

Fwiw, a popular saying amongst the cooks is along the lines of "there is a big difference between competition chili and chili you cook at home"

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Fwiw, a popular saying amongst the cooks is along the lines of "there is a big difference between competition chili and chili you cook at home"

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The only reason why anyone would make home chili like they do competition chili is in getting ready for a competition.

Competition chili does have it's place, though. Years ago when Texas World Speedway was in full operation, one a few occasions they had a chili cookoff as part of the festivities.

One year they brought the samples up to the press box for the judging. After they were through they left a bunch of styrofoam cups of chili sitting around. A friend of mine walked over, got a fresh spoon, and started separating the cups of chili into two categories. I asked him what he was doing and he said that the smaller set of cups was for himself and the larger set of cups was for his dog.

No idea what the rules state, but I definitely use a combination of fresh peppers and powder. That being said when I make chili I brown the meat first, set it aside, then make the base. Once the base is ready I use a hand blender to make sure there's no texture from the onions, peppers, tomatoes, etc, then add all the meat back to the pot. All you can see is meat and sauce. But I would think the only thing required to win a chili cook off is taste better than anyone else. I would think anything other than that is an unnecessary rule. If a judge said it didn't look right and threw it away without even tasting it, they should get a punch in the face.

Well, then the world of competition chili may not be for you. Bar cookoff a are usually less stringent, but I've taken my competition chili to bar cookoff a and wrecked shop, and my chili for comps doesn't really usually do too well.

What I will say, another tidbit, degrease your chili. Keep in mind that it sits in the cup for sometimes 15 minutes before being tasted. Meaning the grease has plenty of time to settle to the top. Nothing appetizing about that and it will count against you.

Not sure this is worth fooling with but when i have an overrun of peppers in the garden i make my own hot sauce. One batch i dehydrated the pulp and then ground it into powder. It was great.

So would drying, toasting, and making your own powder be worth it? Maybe smoking some to dry them out.

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Not sure this is worth fooling with but when i have an overrun of peppers in the garden i make my own hot sauce. One batch i dehydrated the pulp and then ground it into powder. It was great.

So would drying, toasting, and making your own powder be worth it? Maybe smoking some to dry them out.

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I do it every year. I'll put a mesh basketball full of peppers in the pit with a brisket and let it go until they are dried.

Yeah. I can't figure out if the competition chili rules sound gay or ******ed but either way they ain't right

Why wouldn't you just use dried chiles, make a puree, run it through a fine mesh strainer, and then braise the meat in that? You get the brightness of the chiles without the pieces of chile.

I don't think y'all understand that the average age of the cooks is probably like 57.

These olds don't like flavorful food or anything different

The judging is so wildly inconsistent I've seen 3 people turn in the same recipe in the same competition and have one person win it. One person get honorable mention. And one person not place.

What I can tell you, is everyone one uses the same process. The same ingredients and the same suppliers for their spices.

It's much more about the process, imo, than it is the actual prosuct.

But like I said. This is for official CASI cookoffs I've taken those principles and applied them to a bar cookoff and wrecked shop. Different world, but it yields good chili.

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But I would think the only thing required to win a chili cook off is taste better than anyone else. I would think anything other than that is an unnecessary rule.

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This is exactly why I walked away from judging and entering chili cookoffs. In the sanctioned contests, the rules favor the process. In amateur contests, the judging is a joke. In both cases, the best chili rarely wins.

You could probably say the same thing for every type cookoff. Even BBQ.

Probably, but, most BBQ contests I've been around the winners are at least solid. I've seen chili contests where the winner is down right terrible

The biggest flaw with chili judging is that they either let Joe Shmoe judge who doesn't know what they are looking for. Or in the early rounds the chili cooks themselves are amongst the judges and know their friends' chilis. Advancing them along.

My recipe starts with dried chilies reconstituted and pureed into a paste. I add meat and veggies next, and enough fre d h cut chilies that 100 percent of the water in the chili comes from veggies. It adds a lot of great flavor. It is the best chili ever.

That said, probably not right for competition. Maybe at the Houston rodeo? Do they use CASI rules there?

I looked at the winning recipes from CASI for the last five years and had to laugh. No fresh onion or garlic, lots of canned stock, and boullion cubes. No thanks.

I've never participated in nor tried competition chili, but this is my recipe. If i were to go to a comp I'd just omit the diced tomatoes.

1 lb 90/10 ground beef

dump 1:
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp onion powder
1 Tbsp paprika
1/2 Tsp cumin
1/2 Tbsp kosher salt

Dump 2:
Cut dump 1 in half except salt (add 1/2 Tbsp kosher salt) and toss in 2 packs of sazon goya

1 can tomato sauce
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
16 oz beef beef broth
approx 8 oz water
4 o 5 chipotle chilis in adobo sauce

1. Brown the beef in pot. Drain in mesh colander and press all grease out. Return to pot.
2. Add tomato sauce, diced tomatos, broth, and water. Bring to a boil
3. Cover, reduce to simmer. 45 minutes.
4. Stir in dump 1. Simmer 20 minutes
5. Stir in dump 2 and add chipotle peppers. Simmer 20 minutes.
6. Remove peppers.

Serve and eat.