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Sunday, October 14, 2007

The Chili Cook-off Results Were.....

Saturday, we packed up the food, camp stove, cooking utensils, and us- to head for Larkins, a bar and restaurant located 20 miles east in a little town called Lowell. The purpose of the trip was to enter a chili cook-off they hold as a part of the towns' Fall Fest with our Wicked White Chili. The weather was good for this time of year, about 50F when we got there at 9:15AM. We (my wife and I) paid and set up our cooking area. The other two Buffalo Bros. I cook with were entering our Red Chili, as they have two catagories at this contest (white & red) and a Peoples' choice award, which is nothing more than a local getting all his friends to stuff the ballot box. The sun came out to make it a beautiful Fall day, with attendance by tasters way up from the previous 2 years. A bluegrass band played too long, too loud, and too badly for my taste. Any kind of music (blues, oldies, country, polkas, Celtic, etc.) played exclusively for 2-3 hours while you're trying to talk, cook, and pay attention to the business at hand will ultimately piss you off! The samples were picked up earlier than announced, which also cheesed me off- and because of that all the people waiting wanted chili early too! We made 3 gallons of white chili, and it was gone quickly. Rave reviews, and repeats make you feel good! Finally, they announced the winners: 1st White Chili-not me??!! 1st in red chili- The Buffalo Bros.! My buddies were flippin' out happy, as the prize was 4 tickets to the Denver vs Lions game and a trophy! 2nd in Red was our good friends Team Dragon Spit, and to ever beat them means your chili was really really good!
For those interested, the recipe for Buffalo Dicks' Wicked White Chili is as follows:
4lbs boneless, skinless chix breasts, cubed 1", sauteed in splash of chix broth
2lbs sweet Italian sausage, bite size pcs, browned
2 green bell peppers, diced to fingernail size
2 medium yellow onions, " "
6 Jalepeno peppers, diced small as poss. no seeds.
2 cans 15oz. chix broth
Put all in pot, season with 2 tbsp Mexican oregano,crushed, 3 tbsp crushed garlic, 1 tbsp white pepper, splashes of jalepeno hot sauce to taste, 2 tbsp celery seed, 1 tsp ground cumin. Bring to simmer, cover and simmer for 1 hr.
Add 48-60oz of cooked white beans(great northern), drained.
2 jars prepared alfredo sauce
1-2 tbsp ground cumin
1 15oz can of corn
Add hot sauce to taste
Simmer for 15 min. or until all is heated through. Thicken with masa harina if needed.
Top with grated Parmesan, or Romano (or both) stir in til melted.
Serve with grated cheese and sliced black olives.
Sorry,no pictures as I forgot my camera in the hectic loading-of-everything process.... Also, this cook-off gives you a gift basket from the local merchants that probably covers the entrance fee of the contest! Nice people, nice town!

19 comments:

Akelamalu said...

Well done you! :)

Anonymous said...

Well, at least it was Buffalo's that won! Good on you!!!

Mel said...

You were robbed i say ROBBED!!

Christo Gonzales said...

well all was going good till I got to alfredo sauce...but hey, I would taste it.

Anonymous said...

Yeah... I was just about to mention the fact that I would have loved to see you and your wife in action!! aahhh I mean..making your white chili... wink

Tell me, you pay to enter the contest but do you have to pay to buy the ingredients??? woah! 3 gallons worth.. that's a lot of chicken!

As long as you had fun... ;-)

pinknest said...

congrats to the buffalo brothers! and i also agree...you were robbed!! it sounds delish.

Odat said...

Just printed the recipe! What's Mexican oregano??? Can I use plain oregano?
Congrats to the brothers!
Peace

Helene said...

How great... will the other 2 Buff bros be taking you and your wife to that game???

I love white chili! I will have to 1/2 your recipe... ok perhaps 1/8th it lol

How was the winning recipe different from yours? Did you get to taste it?

Casdok said...

Love chilli so will try yours!
Yes how was the winners different?

buffalodick said...

nancybee- We have to pay an entry fee ($40)and the cost of the chili ingredients, but they gave us 2 event tee-shirts, a canvas tote, a gift basket from the local merchants worth $30+, and the proceeds from the entry and sale of chili samples went to a local charity- which we can write off at tax time if we want!
Pink- My white was the best one there by the comments, but they have to throw the local competitors a bone so they come back!
odat- Mexican oregano is different, and is stronger and less sweet than the one used in Italian cooking. It is close enough in a pinch...
Kate- The winning one was a joke! It tasted like spicy chicken soup with white beans in it. They thought they didn't have a chance too, 'cause they left before the announcing of the winners! The fix was in...
I'm just happy my buddies won 1st!

buffalodick said...

ake- Thanks! It was a fun day to be outside in Michigan..
DutchB- My cook mates were very pleased with themselves-they did it with no help from me!
mel- My buddies took 1st and my friends took 2nd, if I would have won too there would have been a lynch mob after us...
DogB- Not traditional at all, I admit!
casdok- This isn't real chili! It's a gourmet offshoot that purists would kill me for doing!

Maddy said...

We went to one of those events years ago [pre-children] I thought my stomach would explode by the end of the day.
Cheers

Paul Champagne said...

Next time, I think we should send Jimmy Carter down to monitor the vote. It may have been a vast (buffalo)wing conspiracy ... but you were robbed.

Well there's always next year.

snowelf said...

Congrats to the Buffalo Bros! And I always love hearing about the great time you have at cook offs regardless if you get jipped out of a prize or not. :)

--snow

Jackie said...

Chili Cook-Offs!! What fun! (whether you're a winner or not!)

There is an International Chili Cook-Off right here in Texas, at Terlingua in the Big Bend Country. Always wanted to attend (not as a participant...just as an observer) but haven't had the opportunity....YET!

Hubs and I will have to try your recipe!!

Mona said...

I was wondering what the chili was all about & now i know with the recipe You put there :)

Isn't it fun to win such a contest? Cooking is an art with 'taste' :D

Christo Gonzales said...

i hear you..

Stephanie Faris said...

Wicked White Chili! I LOVE the name.

Mike Minzes said...

Your White Chill won. They just don't know talent down in those parts.