Okay, so someone mentioned the town’s annual chili cook-off, sorta like a local “chili bowl race” for bragging rights, you know? And I thought, heck, why not give it a shot this year. Seemed like a fun thing to do, something different.
First thing, I realized I didn’t have a killer chili recipe. Not one that could win anything, anyway. So, the weekend before, I basically turned my kitchen into a test lab. Total chaos, let me tell you. I went to the store, grabbed all sorts of stuff:
- Different kinds of beans (black beans, kidney beans, the works)
- Ground beef, some sausage too
- Onions, peppers, garlic
- A whole bunch of spices I barely knew how to use
I spent Saturday just cooking. Made two big pots, trying different things. Chopped veggies, browned the meat, dumped stuff in, let it simmer for ages. Stirring, tasting, adding more stuff. Burnt my tongue a few times. The first batch was alright, edible. The second one… getting warmer. Finally landed on something I thought was pretty decent. Wrote down what I did, roughly.
Getting Ready for the Big Day
Then came the actual cook-off day. Woke up early, felt kinda nervous, like waiting for a race to start. Loaded up the car with my big slow cooker full of chili, bowls, spoons, napkins, the whole setup. Got down to the park where they hold it. Found my little table space they assigned me. Plugged in the cooker to keep the chili warm.
Setting up was easy enough. But then people started showing up. Lots of people. And lots of other chili contestants. Wow, the smell in that park was amazing. All kinds of chili scents mixing together. Made me hungry and even more nervous.
Folks started coming by my table. Handed out little sample cups. Most people were really nice, said good things. Some just kinda grunted and moved on. You get all types. It was busy, just dishing out chili, talking to strangers, explaining my “secret” ingredients (which weren’t that secret, honestly).
The Judging Part
Later, the official judges came around. They had clipboards and looked super serious. Tried a spoonful of mine, didn’t say much, just nodded and made notes. Moved on to the next table. That was the worst part, the waiting after they tasted it. Felt like forever. Just stood there, smiling at people, wondering if my chili was good enough or just okay.
Finally, they gathered everyone for the results. They announced third place, second place, then the grand prize winner. Wasn’t me. Didn’t even get an honorable mention, ha! But you know what? It didn’t really matter. I went there, I cooked, I shared my food, met some cool people. It was a blast, really. A long, tiring, messy blast. Packed up my cooker, cleaned up my spot, and headed home smelling strongly of chili.
Definitely learned a few things. Mainly that making chili for a crowd under pressure is harder than it looks. And maybe next year, I’ll add more spice. Yeah, maybe I’ll do it again.
