CERTIFIABLE CHILI JUDGE

It is now official. Ms. Goofy and I are now chili judges certified by the International Chili Society. This opens a new chapter in our career as judges. Judging chili is no easy task. Imagine tasting a dozen chili's that are all very good and all very similar. We will be looking for balance of flavors, tenderness of meats and of course chili love. Oh what fun we have.

RODEO CHILI

What a beautiful day! The weather cooperated to create a wonderful setting to host the 'Rodeo Car Show and Chili Cook-off. The cars were polished and shining. The Chili was hot and spicy. The whole town of Rodeo was out to witness a battle of Chili Titans. Greg and his wife from 'Life is a Picnic stopped by to say hello. He was there to taste some chili and take some awesome pictures  The cook-off was scheduled to start at 1:00pm. The crowd lined up to sample "Mad Meat Genius Tri-Tip Chili". You would not believe how big my head swelled to see this line of people that wanted to try our chili.

Lets meet the cast of our team. James Campers is my partner in crime. He is the master of grilling tri-tip.John is our prep cook 'Extraordinair. He has knife skills that impresses. We had a crew of lovely servers. From left to right is Laura, Ms. Goofy's sister Paula and the infamous Ms. Goofy. Last on our team was Peppaheads wonderful Chile powder blend. Together this team produced and served some of the best chili in Rodeo.

Now for the results. The chili was judged by three amateur judges. They remained anonymous because of their embarrassing chili judging skills. We have learned by experience that local chili cook-offs sometimes are not judged by the merit of flavor. Sometime politics shamefully raises its ugly head in the judging process. So with that said, We WON the crowds heart and stomachs. This first place title was handed to St. Patricks church. We do not even know what place we came in because they only announced First & Second Place.

What a fun day. So many friends stopped by to celebrate and eat some chili. Thanks to my team and thanks to all the people that participated. We did not walk away with any trophies today. We did create and serve chili to be proud of . Oscar wears his badge of participation with pride.

RODEO CHILI COOK-OFF

Our local chili cook-off in Rodeo, California is scheduled for this Saturday October 16. This is a fun event for all ages. There will be a car show, music and most important a Chili Cook-off. This will our third year of participation. Our ‘BBQ Tri-Tip Chili’ has been awarded first and second prize in previous years. We would like to increase our chances of winning this year. Larry from Peppahead was the perfect Chile purveyor to contact. Peppahead sells all types and flavors of chile powder. “Big Red’ is one of his top sellers. This will be perfect to dry rub our ‘Tri-Tip’ cut of meat. Larry has many blends of different powders to create our base gravy to bind the meat with the vegetables and beans. Larry put together a wonderful combination of ‘New Mexican Red’, ‘Dixon’ and Chile de Arbol’ for us to sample.

The wonderful thing about Peppaheads chili powders is the freshness. When you open the package or container of powder, a rush of pepper essence will grab your nostrils for a jolt of flavor. We dipped our fingers into the Chile de Arbol powder and a tear came to my eye. I am not sure if it was the heat or the wonderful taste sensation. These are not your ordinary super market pepper powders. These are the real deal.

We did a test batch using a combination of Chile powders, salt, sugar, cumin, oregano, fresh pinto beans, garlic, onion and tomato’s. This one gallon bowl of ‘Red’ would be a good indicator to tweak our quantity of spices. This batch turned out rich and spicy hot. For the competition we will have to tone down the heat. We personally love the burn, but the general public might not. It is a trick and art to find the right balance of pepper, salt, sugar and meat. Our grilled Tri-Tip rubbed in ‘Big Red’ powder is our ace in the hole and has brought us success in the past. This meat is tender and spicy good.

We would love to see you this Saturday in Rodeo to sample our chili. Thanks to Peppahead for having such great chile products. With his chile powders and our bbq tri-tip, hopefully we will be on the winning platform.

5th Annual Chili Cook Off and Classic Car Show
Peppahead

RODEO CHILI COOK-OFF

We are loading up Ms. Goofy's 'Formula One' racing Honda with an appetite and our judges badges. We are traveling to Clear Lake to judge a KCBS sanctioned barbeque, "Smokin' On the Water", contest. It is how we roll. When we are not  eating and judging some of the best barbeque of the nation we are entering chili cook-offs. I would like to mention the "Rodeo Chili Cook-Off and Car Show".

This will be our third year of entry and we have high hopes of winning. We have won this contest and we have also taken a second place losing to a higher authority. This event will be a local showcase for business's and individuals of my home town of Rodeo, California. This event will take place on Saturday October 16 at Lefty Gomez field. I will have more information later. We leave you with our theme song of the weekend. Let the good times roll.

DEVIL'S TONGUE

The peppers are beginning to turn some beautiful colors. This plant is called the 'Devils Tongue'. This will be the first time I have ever tasted this pepper. It will be tasted with a glass of milk standing by. It is described as being a Habanero type pepper that is outrageously hot. Here we go. We will cut it in half and cut a sliver out of the middle. The sample will be approx a 1/8 round of seeds and membranes. The whole effect must be experienced. There is no fear involved. Maybe I should wait till after I walk the dogs. You know I just remembered I have to mow the lawn. Okay I will stop stalling. It has a fruity smell. Here goes! So far so good. AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHGG!

I cannot feel my face. Bring me the milk. I have to leave the room for a minute.

I am back. That was really good. Once you get over the initial bomb of burn, the Devils Tongue has a lot of fruity flavor. It is very unique.

You may be asking,'Why is Chilebrown eating Super Hot peppers at 8:00am in the morning?'. I am doing this in the name of research. The Rodeo Chili- Cook Off is less than two weeks away. This is proof that I am serious about Chile. There will be no Devils Tongue pepper in the competition chili. If you stop by, there may be samples of Devils Tongue, if you dare. There will be a car show and musical entertainment. The best part will be the chance to sample various chili. It will be a competition and every vote counts. I hope to meet some of you. Stop on by and say hello!. (look for the 'Mad Meat Genius Logo')

Rodeo Chili Cook -Off

Rodeo, California Saturday Sept. 6 10:am - 4:00pm

Chili tasting begins at noon

RODEO CHILI COOK OFF

Mark your calendars for September 6. This is the date of the Rodeo Chili Cook off. I will be there defending our First Place title from last year. It is a Chili Cook off and Car Show. It will be held at the 'Lefty Gomez' field in Rodeo, California. Last year our team made a Tri-Tip Chili. It was voted as the crowd favorite. We had a lot of stiff competition. The field consisted of 12 other teams. The local church, fire department and a local politician were present. We had to prepare a 5 gallon pot of chili in 4 hours. Everything had to be prepared on site. We had to adhere to all Health and Safety codes. It was a little nerve racking at first. Once we had everything set up and cooking, the nerves settled. The 12 ounce cans of liquid refreshment might of helped too.

Our chili was done in plenty of time. We just had to wait for the 12 noon starting gun. A couple of booths down was vacant until the last hour. It was the booth for our local politician. I will not mention his name to spare the embarrassment. He came in with a crew who were bringing in boxes of material. After a little investigation we found out what was in the box. It was large cans of Nalley's Chili. The nerve of this fake to try to pass off canned chili. Well he was outed and disqualified. I wonder if this is a statement of all politicians. The gun sounded and the crowd surged. Our Chili was gone in less than an hour. We could relax until the votes were tallied. At the end we were victorious. It was the end of a good day!

I hope you can make it September 6. Come by and say Hello!!!!!