Hearty & hot
Chili cook-off winners share their secrets
At this time of year, chili is always a winning choice. Hearty and hot, it can be served at a Super Bowl party, brought to a potluck or prepared for dinner in a large enough quantity to ensure plenty of leftovers.
But while there are few losing recipes out there, when it comes to chili some are bigger winners than others. That’s because chili competitions abound, and are growing in popularity.
They range from spirited office cook-offs to fundraisers to events that showcase local restaurants and chefs. There also are officially sanctioned state, regional, national and international contests with trained judges. We asked some winners about what makes chili so special. “There are so many variations, and they all are so good,” says Anthony Barone, who won the 2016 Wisconsin State Chili Cook-Off in Green Lake and, as a result, went on to compete at the International Chili Society’s World Championships in Reno. It was the second time he and his team, which also consists of wife Maria and sister- and brother-in-law Amy and Jerry McKeown, won the state competition.
Barone says his chili stands apart because he uses flank steak instead of tri-tip, which is the beef of choice for many others who compete.
“I think flank steak has a better flavor, and I combine it with ground beef,” he says. “I blister and skin fresh peppers and I also use beer in my recipe. People say they can taste the beer and they like it.”
Brian Francis has won the Golden Ladle Award at the Milwaukee Chili Bowl for the past four years and will be competing again at the event Sundayat the Potawatomi Hotel & Casino. This competition showcases chili prepared by local chefs. More than 30 restaurants participated last year, offering more than 50 varieties.
Francis is co-owner of Mulligans Irish Pub & Grill in Franklin, and his winning recipe is the same chili that is served at the restaurant.
“I use ground beef and pork loin,” Francis says. “It’s hearty, it’s meaty and it’s spicy, but it won’t make you sweat too much.
“It’s just a good balance of heat and flavor.”
And it includes beans, as does most chili prepared in the Midwest.
“I know different regions have different standards,” he says. “But to me, beans are required.”
Beans are not allowed, however, in International Chili Society-sanctioned events.
“We’re looking for chili in its purest form,” says Carol Hancock, CEO of the society, which holds events all around the country. “In our main category we require chili peppers or paste and quality meat but do not allow beans or pasta.
“But we’re talking about competition chili at the highest level, not about what you serve on a weeknight or at a Super Bowl party. In many parts of the country, chili wouldn’t be chili without beans.”
White chili, which is made with chicken and white beans, may be the polar opposite of the chili created for International Chili Society competitions, but it continues to grow in popularity.
Lisa Goldfinger says the white chicken chili recipe she has written about is the most popular recipe on her food blog (found at panningthe globe.com).
“This chili has so much flavor because it’s baked into the chicken beforehand,” she says. She also likes using three types of chili powder for greater depth of flavor.
And, yes, it’s a contest winner, too. It was voted the best chili at her husband’s office cook-off.
The Greater Milwaukee Pipes and Drums Chili Cook-Off is another smaller event that’s competitive nevertheless. It involves Milwaukee-area firefighters and police showing off their best recipes with attendees deciding who gets bragging rights.
“And the Fire Department usually wins,” says past winner Lt. Jeff Gauthier of the Milwaukee Fire Department. “Hmmm … do I sound biased?”
The event has grown every year and last November had to move to a bigger venue. It is a fundraiser for the Pipe Band, which plays (free of charge) at funerals throughout the region as a way of honoring fallen firefighters and police officers.
Gauthier has always loved cooking and did so for four years at the firehouses to which he was assigned before he was promoted to lieutenant. He says he thought he was a “pretty good cook — until I came to the Fire Department.”
“That’s when I learned what really good cooking is all about,” he says. “Those guys who prepare satisfying meals on every shift, they’re the best.”
Gauthier’s winning chili has a smoky flavor and a little bit of heat.
“I use ground sirloin, ground pork and ground veal, and sometimes I do a chunkier version using smoked brisket,” he says. “I love beans in my chili and use two different types, Spanish black beans and kidney beans.
“I serve my chili over spaghetti noodles because I grew up in Green Bay and that’s how we do it,” he says.
This year Mitch Gawin entered the Pipes and Drums chili cook-off for the first time — and won. Gawin is a paid on-call firefighter and EMT in Thiensville and works full time for the Milwaukee Fire Department as an equipment mechanic. He calls his recipe “Watchman’s Chili.”
“I don’t do a ton of cooking because I don’t have much time, but I love making chili,” he says. His chili has a rich, smoky flavor and includes cubed beef chuck roast that is seasoned and browned, bacon, onion, beans and two types of peppers, including chipotle.
“Traditionally I preferred a Texas-style chili without beans, but I added them and really liked how it turned out,” he says. His beans of choice are black beans.
On a recent Friday Gawin prepared two Nesco roasters full of his winning chili to serve at the Milwaukee Fire Department repair shop and a large group gathered for lunch as Gauthier presented the first-place silver bowl to Gawin. It got rave reviews.
Gawin also will be participating in the WMSE Rockabilly Chili Fundraiser held each year at the Milwaukee School of Engineering’s Kern Center. This year’s event is March 5, and it uses a people’s choice system to determine the winner. Those who buy tickets can vote on the best chili in a range of categories.
“In addition to supporting MSOE, the organizers allow us to raise additional money for the Fire Department’s Warm Up Winter project, which has allowed us to buy more than 25,000 new coats for kids in Milwaukee who need them,” says Fire Department Deputy Chief John Litchford. Litchford and Gauthier have competed in the past, and now Gawin is joining the ranks.
Litchford says one of the reasons chili is so popular among firefighters is that it’s a “good, solid comfort food.”
“At the firehouse it brings everyone together and contributes to the camaraderie,” he says. “We train together, cook together and eat together.”
Another firefighter, this one from Cincinnati, took his chili recipe to the highest level, becoming a World Champion in International Chili Society competition. He enters 10 to 12 competitions a year, has also won state titles in Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan and more, and has served as a cook-off chairman. He says chili has become one of America’s favorite comfort foods.
“It’s easy to put together, and hits all the food groups,” says Bill Donovan, who is now retired from the Cincinnati Fire Department. “And the whole family likes it.” He also is a fan of Cincinnati-style chili, which is a popular regional style with a distinctive flavor that is the result of its Greek roots. It is said that more chili is served in Cincinnati (per capita) than any other city in the U.S.
“It’s soupier, with cinnamon, cloves and finely ground meat, served over spaghetti noodles and topped with massive quantities of cheese,” he says. “Cincinnati still has chili parlors where people go several times a week.”
One of the most popular is Skyline Chili, with a dozen locations in the Cincinnati area. Time and time again it has been voted Cincinnati’s best chili.
As for Donovan’s own chili, he does not reveal the exact recipe for his ICS award-winner, but he represents his firefighter background by providing his Code 3 Chili recipe that he would serve in the firehouse and at home.
“In firefighter jargon, a Code 3 is a fire that requires additional fire companies to help extinguish flames,” he says. “It’s a little hot.”