Once a month our church has a Men’s Ministry Fellowship. Last month was a BBQ dinner, followed by a guest speaker. Great time of fellowship and encouragement. This month the men were to make their best pot of chili, for the chili cook off.
Several have found it funny that they had a chili cook off in July! We live in Florida; it’s HOT in July! Chili is not a normal meal in July, in Florida. But what’s more manly than a thick, meaty, spicy bowl of chili?
Bruce enters the kitchen, prepared to make his best pot of chili. (There’s a first for everything, right?) Keep in mind, Bruce does not cook.
There are tons of recipes on the Internet for chili. Simple combination of ingredients is how we like it.
- Ground beef
- Black beans
- Tomato juice
- Tomato sauce
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
- Chili Powder, to taste
- Garlic, to taste
- Crushed Red Pepper
- Sprinkle of sugar to offset the acid, and tomatoeness
- And…his special ingredient…ground rooster spur pepper.
Remember last week I shared about our trip to Sam’s? Bruce is using the ground beef I put in the freezer to save time and clean up.
Dump it all in a large stock pot, or crockpot, sprinkle seasonings on top and simmer on low until heated through. The longer and slower it cooks, the better it is. After its heated, taste it. Is it spicy enough? Does it need more garlic or salt for flavor?
Because of time, Bruce made his chili Sunday afternoon. Let it simmer for about an hour while he watched the Brickyard race, refrigerated it over night, and then let it cook in the crock pot all day, until it was time to go to the Men’s Ministry event.
Zach sampled a bowl at lunch. I received the following text from him: 
As I write this blog, I don’t know the outcome of the cook off. But regardless, it was nice having my hubby in the kitchen with me. And Zach thinks it was the best chili ever.
When the Fall and Winter come, we will be making a large pot full and freezing the leftovers for a convenient lunch or dinner. Thaw and reheat.
Don’t forget to add a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of cheese to your bowl full. No need for a spoon, use some corn chips instead. Is your chili served as the main course with crackers? As a side to grilled cheese or hot dogs?
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