Chili Cook-Off

So what is Chili or Chili con carne? Chili or chili con carne is a spicy Texan dish, originally designed as trail meal for cowboys, made of chopped/ground meat seasoned with chilies or chili powder. Beans were added to stretch the number of servings. The two types of traditional chilies are the Red Chili and Chili Verde.

1. Traditional Red Chili, as defined by the International Chili Society, contains any kind of meat or combination of meats, cooked with red chili peppers, various spices and other ingredients. PASTA is strictly forbidden in the pasta.

2. Chili Verde, as defined by the International Chili Society, contains any kind of meat or combination of meats, cooked with green chili peppers, various spices and other ingredients. PASTA is strictly forbidden in the pasta.

The rules are as follows:

CHILI COOK-OFF RULES
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2010 7:00PM-9:30PM

1. Attending Trustees and past Grand Knights (minimum of 4) will be the judges. Also, all attending Knights and spouses votes will be combined into 1 public vote. Minimum of 5 votes. District Deputy will provide deciding vote in the case of a Tie.

2. All chili must be prepared at home and brought to meeting in a pot or a Crockpot. The Kitchen stove will not be available to reheat chili.

3. Each participant must produce one large pot or Crockpot of the chili of their choice. Each participant must supply serving utensil for their chili. Each participant must provide a copy of their recipe to the Warden.

4. Each participant must supply all toppings and sides that go with their chili. The Warden will supply corn bread and tortillas to help keep the palette clean.

5. Chilies are due at 7:00 pm to give the Warden adequate time to number the chili and set up tasting area.

6. Each chili entry will be assigned a number and judging will be accomplished through a blind-taste test.

7. Each Judge will place a sample of the chili in the provided cup for tasting. A clean cup should be used for each chili. Chili should not be mixed during tasting. Bowls will be provided for those who just want to eat.

8. Judges will be told to vote for the chili they like best while considering the following: taste (good flavor), consistency, aroma, and color.

9. Prizes will be awarded for the top two chilies based on the criteria above. Prizes will also be awarded for the spiciest traditional chili and for the best tasting non-traditional chili. (Non-Traditional Chili: Does meet either of the above definitions. There is no limitation on the ingredients in this chili. Examples: Vegetarian Chili or Three Bean Chili.)

10. Winners will be announced at approximately 30 minutes after tasting is complete (NLT 9:30 pm) and prizes awarded.

11. Each participant is responsible for clean-up of their utensils and pots at the end of the cook-off.

2011 Winner: Dan Turgeon's Chili Recipe