Column: Karl's classic chili

Fall brings football, Halloween and chili contests. A few weeks back, I wrote a column about improving your chili. On Sept. 27, I put my chili-making skills to the test.

Main Street Medina’s Angela Mansier invited me to participate in the third annual Chili Cookoff at the Medina Square Farmer’s Market Fall Fest, and I accepted the challenge. After all, it was a fundraiser for a good cause, Cups Cafe.

There were two awards: Judge’s Choice and People’s Choice. For People’s Choice, 173 people gave a $5 donation to taste all 10 entries and then vote on the winner. Of those, 163 cast ballots, and they chose Thyme 2 as the winner with Chef John Kolar’s no-beans Texas-style chili with green crème fraîche swirl and a signature hushpuppy as garnish. Thyme 2 also won Judge’s Choice. I came in third place in the People’s Choice behind Thyme 2 and Big Dog Daddy’s. Other competitors were 17 Public Square, Dilly’s Sandwich Factory, Tony Bianco and Chef Niko with Sérénité Restaurant, Jen Rymer, John McCale, Cat Keller and Kelly Miliron.

The recipe I made is here in this column. After tweaking it for weeks with A/B-style testing, I made a final adjustment to reduce the number of beans based on input from the many people I annoyed with the “beans or no beans” question.

I enjoyed meeting many folks in the long chili line who said they read my column every week.

As always, I urge you to eat fresh, dine local and be happy.

Karl’s Classic Chili

No single chili recipe will please everyone, but this one comes close, using only half the beans of a normal Midwest-style chili to accommodate the no-bean crowd, with minimal heat.

This chili takes 15 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook, for a total of one hour, and yields 12 servings.

Ingredients: 10 strips uncooked bacon, cut into small pieces 

2 large yellow onions, diced 

2 red peppers, diced 

2 tablespoons minced garlic 

2 pounds 85/15 ground beef 

2 tablespoons brown sugar 

1.5 tablespoons Gebhardt’s chili powder 

1.5 tablespoons ancho chili powder 

2 teaspoons smoked paprika 

2 teaspoons cumin 

2 teaspoons onion powder 

1 tablespoon coriander 

1.5 teaspoons ground black pepper 

1 teaspoon kosher salt 

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 

3 cups beef broth 

1 can (15 ounces) pinto or kidney beans, rinsed and drained 

1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained 

3 cans (14.5 ounces each) petite diced fire-roasted tomatoes 

1 can (7 ounces) diced fire-roasted green chilis 

1/2 cup tomato paste 

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Directions: Combine spices in a small bowl and stir to mix. Open cans and dice vegetables into 1/4-inch pieces.

Place chopped uncooked bacon in a large pot and cook over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and drain all but 2 tablespoons of grease.

Add onion and pepper and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for one minute until fragrant.

Add beef, breaking apart with a spatula into fine pieces. Once the meat is halfway cooked, add sugar and spices and mix well. Cook until browned.

Add beef broth, beans, tomatoes, tomato paste, chilis, Worcestershire sauce and chopped bacon. Stir well. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.

Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes to allow flavors to develop. Add balsamic vinegar just before serving.