"16-Times World Sirloin Chili" -- Oklahoma

This chili was definitely one for meat-eaters. We used sirloin steak, porterhouse steak, and filet mignon! The use of dried ancho chiles and dried chipotle chiles is always a good spicy mix. We have learned not to use nearly as much sugar as these recipes require and that was a good thing.

We served the chili over beans and raw onions. I had a feeling that this one might be a little bland, so I made some guacamole to serve alongside. We discovered that the chili was even better when we put a little guacamole on top! The chili scored a 2.93 but probably would have scored slightly higher if it had actually called for the guacamole garnish.

We tried Yards India Pale Ale (brewed in Philadelphia). This one was a winner.

"Cincinnati Five-Way Chili" -- Ohio

Ok . I am still taking a "semi-break" from this blog until mid-terms are over in a couple of weeks; however, I must put in the minimum of an entry while the experience is still fresh in my mind. This chili was one with a myriad of textures. "Five-Way" refers to the five layers of food that encompasses the dish. For me, it was all about the textures.

The chili is served over a layer of spaghetti, then the layer of chili, a few warm red kidney beans, a few chopped onions, a nice thick layer of cheddar cheese and then garnished with oyster crackers. I managed to find the real OTC oyster crackers that I can never find when I'm making my oyster filling for the holidays. This was the first chili that we had to serve on plates rather than our "special" chili night bowls.

My beef with the recipe was, of course, the one cup of barbecue sauce that I still think tastes and smells like hot dogs. Geoff's only negative on this one was that it was a little too sweet (again, a product of the barbecue sauce). The boys insisted that they could taste the 1/2 ounce of unsweetened chocolate; my tastebuds mustn't be as sensitive as they used to be! I just wasn't tasting it.

We made a few adjustments to the cooking process with this one that I will spell out in my new, improved blog that will contain recipes.  For now, the final score was a 3.03 and for all you who wait with great anticipation for the beer we chose, it was Sierra Nevada Tumbler Autumn Brown Ale. I'm really liking the Sierra Nevada.

Friday Night Chili Respite

I was subtly shown by one of my "followers" (family member) why my Friday Night Chili Blog fails to get any "real" or additional followers. She showed me other cooking blogs that are filled with photos and recipes and links to other sites--basically a magazine. My first reaction was, hey, I already have two jobs and go to school. How can I possibly make a blog that competes with these?

Well, I know I can if I can just find the time. So, while we will be continuing to make our Friday Night Chili recipes, I will continue the blog when I feel like I can make it worthy and interesting to anyone out there who might be interested.

By the way, this week was North Dakota Forty Below Meat Loaf and Mashed Potatoes Chili. It earned a 3.3 and reminded us of Shepherd's Pie.

"Pig Chili"--North Carolina*

Tonight's chili was, indeed, pig chili with two pounds of pork tenderloin. I should have known by now to reduce the amount of sugar (since the authors seem to go a little overboard) but, instead followed the recipe to a "T". My cooking partner was too busy with homework so I was on my own. Of course, any chili that uses the ancho chiles has an edge, so it earned a 3.16. With a little less sugar and a little less apple cider vinegar it would have gone much higher. This chili would have actually made a really delicious pork barbeque sandwich (Ed, I think you would have liked it) since it was not saucy at all and the spice level was perfect.

The most amazing part of this meal was the cornbread. We've been searching for the best cornbread recipe and I happened to come upon one from a "Food and Wine" January 2007 magazine. It had a little bit of scallions in it and had the flavor we loved from the spoon bread. The texture was what we've been looking for.

Keeping with the "autumn" motif we started last week with the pumpkin beer, we paired this chili with Sam Adams' OctoberFest beer. The kind of beer that leaves you really thirsty. I don't think we'll go back to that one.

*Chili Nation, page 106.

Buffalo Beef and Weck Chili*--New York

Friday Night Chili report is a little late--it's been a busy weekend. We didn't know what to expect of this chili. Apparently the weck is a type of roll topped with kummelweck (caraway seeds). The description made it sound like a deli sandwich/chili kind of thing, made with deli roast beef, prepared horseradish, served on a slice of seeded rye bread. Once again the chili's downfall was the addition of brown sugar and the ancho chiles were processed with gingersnap cookies. Too sweet. Our sweet lover didn't like it for another reason--the addition of caraway seeds. Proof is in the fact that the leftovers are still in the fridge. Mike took one bite and that was all he needed. Buffalo Beef and Weck earned a 2.5--probably a bit generous at that.

We washed the chili down with Harvest Blue Moon Pumpkin ale. Sounds funky, but actually was the best part of the meal.
 

*Chili Nation, p. 104.

No Chili This Week

For all the followers of my Friday Night Chili Blog (all three of you) who have been waiting anxiously for my chili report, I'm sorry to report that there will be no chili this week. Two reasons, we went to the beach for a short holiday and we ran out of some key chili peppers and the order hasn't come in yet. Now wait, my three followers already know this because they are my family. Oh well, it's nice to imagine that someone else might care!!

We'll be back again this coming Friday.

"Mesilla Valley Bowl of Green,"*--New Mexico

I anticipated that this chili would be a good one. According to the cookbook's notes, New Mexico is the chili state. But here's the dilemma. New Mexico's chili was so salty that it almost seemed like the 1-1/2 Tablespoons of salt was a typo. I even hesitated when I poured it in. It was actually hard to notice anything other than the salt. We decided that we had to rate it according to the recipe just like we would if we thought that there was too much spice or not enough veges as we have with all the others. As a result,  the final tallied score was only a 2.77.

As we were preparing the chili we decided that we might need some rice at the bottom of the bowl. The only rice I had in the cupboard was a bag of black & mahogany rice. This was a godsend because it did serve to somewhat cut back the salty flavor.

Our beer was "Walt Wit" unfiltered Belgian White-Style Ale made in Philadelphia. It was a very nice beer that sparked the conversation as to what claim Philadelphia had to Walt Whitman. He lived the last part of his life in Camden, New Jersey just across the river, but that would give Camden claim, not Philly. He did write about Philadelphia as "...a broad tumble of clouds, with much golden haze and profusion of beaming shaft and dazzle" I guess, as he looked at it from Camden. And one end of the Walt Whitman Bridge is in Philadelphia. That's about it though. I think Camden gets to claim him.

Despite the low rating of this chili, I would still like to go to Hatch, New Mexico's chili festival. It sounds like they go gaga for chili like mad!

*Chili Nation, p. 100