Chili Cook off Season

Well, the time of year that I enter a friendly competition among friends has arrived. Ever year we journey along the slow 91 Freeway to enter a chili cook off, that I usually place in. Well, I have had a very good recipe in the past that has consistently won... but now that most of my friends have that recipe I am in "find that perfect recipe mode". I have been trying various recipes that others have suggested or that I have found in various cook books that I own that sound good.

This year I am looking for the "most unique" category. That would mean using a non-traditional meat such as pork (pork butt or shoulder roast - yes, they are the same thing), which gets really soft and buttery with long cooking times, or chicken, which I can add fully cooked, seasoned chicken the last 20 minutes of cooking.

I think my family will be sick and tired of chili by the time the cook off rolls around!

Last night I made my first chili. To my surprise, my children liked it. They can be picky eaters at times. Jonathan, my 5 year old bundle of pure energy however LOVED it! He ended up eating 3 small bowls of it! I had hot dogs in the refrigerator just in case they hated it!

The result of the pork chili was good in testure, but lacking in taste. However, I will retry the chili at lunch time after the seasonings have had a chance to 'marry'.

Hi Ho - Hi Ho -- the Chili Trail I go!