I'm posting this today in full confidence that no one else from our church entering the contest tomorrow will steal my recipe! :) We actually found it online last year and made some tweaks to the original recipe. It did win first prize in the cook-off last year, so beware! I'm not a fan of spicy foods, but I do really like chili. This one is just the right blend of savory and spicy. And it's true chili- no beans! If you like yours spicy, you can always add a little more hot sauce or chili powder.
I can never afford lean chuck, so I just buy regular ground beef. I try to get the leaner ground so the chili doesn't get greasy. I also eliminate the beer. After doing some researching, I decided that vegetable stock was the best substitute. We like to use California chili powder in ours. There are so many choices out there. The New Mexico style powders are a little more smoky and sweet. The "international" aisle at the grocery store has little baggies of all the spices you need, and that way you get a fresher spice than if you use something that's been in your pantry for months. Our Winco also has a bulk section that sells spices now. Oh, and don't skip the sugar and cocoa powder. Chocolate and chilies go together wonderfully, and the sugar helps cut some of the heat without changing the flavor of the spice. The recipe calls for some cornstarch at the end of the two hour simmering time, but I've never needed to thicken it. If anything, I've added vegetable stock to help thin it a bit when it's done cooking. If you're in the area, come to church tomorrow to try it out! :)
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