it is now 5:45 am and i just took off the first batch of chili that was simmering throughout the night in my apartment… of course causing me to dream i was being attacked by a giant cow, lamb and pig with fiery aji and roasted chili breath.  needless to say did not sleep that well, not solely because of my strange nightmares but also slight worry that i would burn the condo down.  nonetheless i am pumped up for tonight’s event at landmark.  i will be taking on the fellow boys of the BOKA group in a chili cook off… not to be taken too seriously.  it is also a keg party after all.  i have tried to avoid any serious competitions since the days on that tv show when i had nightmares of being attacked by a beautiful indian supermodel and her hairless sidekick. 

i thought i would share the basic recipe for my chili tonight… pretty much a hodgepodge of all the meats and other items i had laying around my house.

so here it is…

the ‘tres carnes’ are pork, beef, and lamb in a few forms:

    • 3 pounds lamb ground with 3 pounds pork belly, and a simple spice mix

    • 4 more pounds lamb shoulder, cubed

    • 7 pounds grounds beef chuck

    • 2 pounds cubed NY strip

    • 8 more pounds pork belly, braised, to later fry for a garnish

    • 1 pound bacon

    • 1 pound salami/soppresata i had leftover

the chilis (no chili powder today…):

    • yellow aji chilis

    • roasted jalepenos

    • roasted serranos

    • some other roasted chili i am forgetting

    • and to finish a bit of chili-garlic sauce

the beans (which we happened upon in our two isles of dry storage that i have in my house-turned-test kichen):

    • chick peas, because i f*ckin love them

    • black beans

    • and a bit of fermented black bean

and the backup singers:

    • tomatillos

    • pineapple

    • onion and garlic of course

    • fennel because i put it in everything

    • white wine, so i could drink some while cooking

    • dijon

    • homemade worcesteshire (which we will be making at the goat, SO TASTY!)

    • splash of balsamic and sherry vinegar

    • capers

    • and some other stuff that i am forgetting

and to top it off tonight:

    • the previously mentioned fried pork belly

    • house creme fraiche

    • and fresh corn tortillas

so there you have it.  i will admit that i have never really made ‘chili’ per se, but i think i get the gist.  meat, maybe some beans, lots of flavor and some heat.  i think we hit all the points.

so come out tonight, drink some beer, and of course

VOTE FOR “TRES CARNES LOCOS”!!

and by the way, here are some of the funny name suggestions tweeted yesterday…

-something involving old macdonald had a farm like ‘Chili-E-I-E-I-O’

-Stephanie’s baaaaaaaahd ass chili!

-BLORK!

-oink with moo and baa chili

-3 meat ecstasy

many more…. thanks again!

scary cow via jake and cat’s photostream