Prize Winner Shares His
Amazing Chili Recipe

 

At the recent Winterfest Chili Cook-Off in Blowing Rock, Larry Marley walked away with bragging rights to last him at least a year as winner in the Amateur Division with his unique Campfire Chili. Larry and his lovely wife, Carolyn, have received many requests for the recipe and we are thrilled that they agreed to share with The Mountain Times the secret behind their success. Not only were the Marleys recognized for their culinary skills, but were also awarded The Golden Spoon for the western theme and design of their campfire station, which took a lot of creativity and hard work to construct. They also provided several hundred miniature spice packets to cook-off enthusiasts, which disappeared within the first hour! Larry and Carolyn were thrilled by the response they received during the event and really went the extra mile to make it a fun time for all. Carolyn, who is so proud of her husband, tells us “He is such a good man, and I love him so much. He is such a low-keyed fellow, never wanting any attention or to be in the spotlight, but he is so deserving.”

During the cook-off, the Marleys not only offered generous samples of the best chili around, they also provided containers of (four- blend) cheese, sour cream, silver-dollar sized cornbread muffins and lime wedges, for those who chose to add the juice to their chili, another of Larry’s “secret” ingredients, that adds a wonderful “zest.”

Larry’s recipe is lengthy and certainly not one quick to prepare - but again, the proof is in the pot, well- worth the time and effort!

“The hardest part for Larry,’ his wife shares, “is to detail the amounts and ingredients and spices. He is one who likes to add a dash of this and a pinch of that, so perfecting the correct amounts was a challenge, but he’s got it down-pat. Larry loves to grill and does so for a variation to his basic chili recipe. It is very time consuming, but well worth the effort.”

Larry’s Campfire Chili

5 lbs. ground meat *(see below for an alternate step)
1 Tbs. garlic pepper
3 (28 oz.) cans tomato puree
2 (6 oz.) cans tomato paste
2 (14.5 oz.) cans tomatoes with green chilies
1/3 cup granulated sugar (cuts the acidic taste)
3 Tbs. chili powder
2 Tbs. sweet basil
3 Tbs. oregano
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 cans black beans
1 cab pinto beans
1 cab dark red kidney beans
1 lg. red bell pepper, diced
1 large yellow bell pepper, diced
3 Tbs. chopped garlic
2 lg. onions, diced
1 (4 oz.) pkg. sliced pepperoni, diced (another of Larry’s “secret” ingredients)

In a 15-qt.soup pot, add tomato puree and paste. Whisk to blend. Then add the diced tomatoes/chilies, sugar, chili powder, basil, cayenne pepper, and oregano.

Stir until blended over low heat. Drain beans lightly, add to the sauce and stir thoroughly.

In a separate pan, lightly brown the ground beef and season with the garlic pepper. Do not overcook, as it makes meat too chewy. It will continue to cook in the chili pot. Also do not stir too much - you want to keep the larger pieces of meat intact. Drain meat lightly and add to the sauce mixture.

Lightly spray a frying pan with cooking spray. Sautee the diced green and yellow peppers with the diced onions and the chopped garlic until the peppers are tender. Add to the chili pot.

Stir constantly to keep the chili evenly heated. Add the diced pepperoni to the chili and stir. Now, if the temperature is hot - it’s ready to eat!

*About the meat: Instead of ground meat, Larry prefers to slow grill over low heat, a well-seasoned 4-lb. sirloin tip roast and a 4 lb. Boston butt. After slowly cooking on the grill, he dices the meat in very small pieces and adds it to the tomato and spice mixture. This is different from when he uses ground meat - which is browned with garlic pepper - drained very well, and then added to the tomato and spice mixture. (We are talking about 2 separate pots of chili here.) If using the sirloin tip and Boston butt, it is better to grill the meat the day before - making the dicing much easier.)

Recipe can be cut in half - or in the case of the Chili Cook-off — increased! The Marleys took eight gallons of chili to the Cook-off, and returned home with less
than 2 cups!!

(This chili is delicious topped with a 4-cheese blend, and/or sour cream, served in a bowl or a bread bowl, or over rice, biscuits, or cornbread, which makes a
complete meal. Enjoy!)

Thanks Larry and Carolyn, for sharing your secrets for an unforgettable pot of chili and congratulations on your victory!

 

Don’t forget your copy of “Lovin’ Spoonful . . . Cooking With Family and Friends,” a compilation of nearly 400 mouth-watering recipes by Sherrie Norris. It is available at all locations of High Country Media – Boone, Banner Elk, West Jefferson, and at The Avery Journal in Newland, all Boone Drugs, Black Bear Books, Trailway Laundry, Wilcox Emporium,( top level, booth 312-W,) and beginning June 15 at Mast Store locations.