Winning Chili at the 2014 & 2015 Spicewood Vineyards Chili Cook-off

by Kelley “EggObsessed” and Bruce “No Joke Smoke” Underwood

Award Winning Smoked Brisket Chili was served at the Salado Big Green Egg Fest After Party.  We entered our first chili cook-off in February at Spicewood Vineyards near Austin.  There were 40 teams serving chili and about 3000 tasters.   The judging was done “blind” by winemakers and people in the food business.  Lo and behold, our first time out of the shoot we won the grand prize.  We were so excited!  For the cook-off, we were required to bring a minimum of 5 gallons of chili, but since our moto is “Why do, if you can over do!”, we brought 11 gallons. We made 3 gallons for the After Party. At both venues there wasn’t a drop left.

Yield:  1 ½ gallons

• 3 cups celery, chopped
• 3 small jalapenos, thinly sliced
• 3 purple onions, chopped

Sauté the vegetables in vegetable oil or bacon grease until translucent.  Then add:

• 4 cloves of garlic, pressed

Sauté for about 30 seconds.  Add the following spices and bloom them in the hot oil with the veggies.

• ½ cup + 2 TBL chili powder (I use Pendery’s Original Chile Blend which is available in the Central Market bulk section or here:  http://www.penderys.com/ )
• 2 tsp. smoked paprika
• 2 tsp. cayenne
• 1 TBL cumin
• 2 tsp. Mexican oregano
• 2 tsp. granulated onion
• 2 tsp. granulated garlic

Once this mixture has bloomed, add:

• 1 c. red wine (Pinot Noir or Claret)

Reduce the wine down for about 10 minutes.  Then add:

• 1 14 oz. can tomato sauce
• 3 15 oz. cans diced tomatoes
• 3 cups LOW SODIUM beef stock/broth
• 12 oz. V-8 juice
• 3 TBL Knorr Tomato Bouillon w/ Chicken Flavor (powdered)
  (http://www.amazon.com/Knorr-Tomato-Bouillon-Chicken-Flavor/dp/B000VXJFIY)
• 1 TBL Underwood’s “It’s My Rub!” Smooth Blend
• 1 TBL Underwood’s “It’s My Rub!” Power Blend
• 2 ½ lbs. of cooked smoked brisket, cut into 3/8” cubes (Rubbed and smoked with “It’s My Rub!” Power Blend”)
• (Optional: 1-2 20 oz. cans of pinto beans, drained and rinsed.  I always include these.)
• Test for need to add salt

Bring up to a slight boil, then turn heat down and simmer until brisket starts falling apart (about 3 hours.  I always put a Simmer Mat (http://www.amazon.com/Simmer-Mat-5200-Diffuser/dp/B000W24RW8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395099826&sr=8-1&keywords=simmer+mat) under my pot to prevent scorching.  Works like a charm!

If you’d like to read comments and questions about this chili on the BGE forum, check it out here: http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1163322/award-winning-smoked-brisket-chili-from-salado-eggfest-after-party-2014/p1

Hope you enjoy this Smoked Brisket Chili recipe! And, when people ask, “what makes the taste so good?”…you can proudly say, “It’s My Rub!”

Thanks for reading!

Bruce and Kelley Underwood

Copyright 2014 Underwood’s It’s My Food!, LLC