Jenkintown Chili Cook-off Recipe

Ingredients For Chili:

  • 1 pound (450g) red kidney beans

  • 3 whole ancho, pasilla, or mulato chiles,

  • 2 whole New Mexico red or serrano chiles

  • 1 whole árbol, or pequin chile

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons (9g) cumin

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons (3g) coriander

  • 1 tsp ground cloves

  • 5 pounds (2.3kg) brisket, chuck, or short rib

  • Freshly ground black pepper

  • 2 tablespoons (30ml) vegetable oil

  • 1 quart (900ml) low-sodium chicken broth

  • 2 ounce (60g) chopped unsweetened chocolate

  • 2 tablespoons (30ml) tomato paste

  • 1 tablespoon (5g) espresso (fresh or instant)

  • 2 teaspoons (10ml) soy sauce

  • 2 large yellow onion, diced fine (about 2 cups)

  • 4 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)

  • 1 jalapeño pepper, finely chopped

  • 1 tablespoon (3g) dried oregano

  • 2 bay leaves

  • 1 (28-ounce; 794g) can crushed tomatoes

  • 1/4 cup (60ml) whiskey or dark beer

  • 1/2 cup dark brown sugar

  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) classic hot sauce

  • 3 tablespoons chili powder (depends on spice preference and quality of powder)

  • Salt and Pepper to taste (I usually use around 2 tablespoons of salt)

For Garnish :

  • Scallions, thinly sliced

  • Cheddar, Jack, or Colby cheese, grated

  • Sour cream

  • Jalapeño or Poblano peppers, stemmed, seeded, and diced

Create your spiced mole mixture:

Add dried chiles to a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or stockpot and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until slightly darkened with an intense, roasted aroma, 2 to 5 minutes. Do not allow to smoke. Remove chiles, place in a small bowl, and set aside. Alternatively, place dried chiles on a microwave-safe plate and microwave on high power in 15-second increments until chiles are pliable and toasted-smelling, about 30 seconds total. Reduce the heat to medium; add the cumin, coriander, and cloves to the Dutch oven and stir, toasting until the spices become fragrant. Remove spices, cool slightly, then transfer grinder, food processor, or blender.

Return Dutch oven to medium-high heat and add 1 cup (240ml) chicken broth, using a flat wooden spoon or stiff spatula to scrape browned bits off of bottom of pan. Reduce heat until chicken broth is at a bare simmer, add spices and toasted chiles from above to liquid, and cook until chiles have softened and liquid is reduced by half, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer chiles and liquid to a blender. Add chocolate, tomato paste, coffee, brown sugar and soy sauce. Blend at high speed, scraping down sides as necessary, until a completely smooth purée has formed, about 2 minutes. Set chile purée aside.

Roast your meat:

Season brisket (or chuck/ribs) on all sides with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add oil to Dutch oven and heat over high heat until smoking. Brown well on all sides, 8 minutes total, reducing heat if fat begins to smoke excessively or meat begins to burn. Transfer to a large rimmed baking sheet or roasting plate. Once meat is entirely browned, transfer all rendered fat into a small bowl and reserve separately. Slowly roast meat until fully cooked and tender, whichever method you usually prefer for a roast: using a pressure cooker at high pressure for 30 minutes and quick release, roasting low and slow for 12 minutes per lb at 275 F, or braised in chicken stock and crushed tomatoes on low-medium burner heat, partially covered. Reserve any cooking liquids for use in the chili base.

Trim meat of excess fat and hand-chop into rough 1/2-inch to 1/4-inch pieces (finer or larger, as you prefer). Add any accumulated meat juices to chile purée.

Assemble your chili:

Heat 4 tablespoons (60ml) rendered beef fat (if necessary, add vegetable oil to reach 4 tablespoons) in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed stockpot over medium heat until shimmering. Add onions and cook, stirring frequently, until softened but not browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Add garlic, fresh peppers (jalapeno/serrano), and oregano and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add chile purée and cook, stirring frequently and scraping bottom of pot, until chile mixture begins to fry and leaves a coating on bottom of pan, 2 to 4 minutes. Add bay leaves remaining chicken stock, and any reserved liquids from roasting. Bring to a simmer, scraping bottom of pan to loosen browned bits. Reduce heat to lowest possible setting cook, with cover slightly ajar about 1 hour to reduce and intensify the flavor. Re-season with salt, pepper, cumin, brown sugar, and chile powder to taste. Add crushed tomatoes and cook, with cover slightly ajar, 2 hours longer before adding the cubed meat and kidney beans. Re-season with salt, pepper, cumin, brown sugar, and chile powder to taste. Cook once more until meat is fully tenderized and adds its seasoning to the chili base, anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours to taste.

Eat hot and topped with garnish, or for best flavor, rest overnight in the refrigerator and reheat to eat.

Notes*: Re-seasoning at every opportunity is best. I usually make a “chili seasoning” bowl with a mix of extra salt, pepper, cumin, brown sugar, and chili powder from which I continually season the base, vegetables, and meat to taste. Once chili is near completion, it is all about personal tastes. I like a sweeter complexion so I tend to add more brown sugar than the base recipe. Remember that if your flavors taste a touch muddled or dull, a touch of salt can amplify these flavors via chemical dehydration, so a touch of salt may sharpen your chili even before it adds a “salty” taste.

If you want to increase the spice: add more chili powder, cayenne, or fresh peppers!

If you want to increase the umami: add more soy sauce, tomato paste, or try anchovies!

If you want to increase the pop of acidity: add 1/4 cup vinegar of choice or an extra 2 tablespoons of hot sauce!