Bo Prewitt -

North Little Rock, Arkansas

 

1996 Terlingua International Chili Championship Winner

I started going to chili cookoffs in 1980 at the Arkansas State Championship. I was part of the "Playboy" Chili Team, even though I didn't cook then. We didn't win a lot of cookoffs, but we sure had fun.

My employer, Golden Eagle of Arkansas, Inc. (The Anheuser-Busch distributor for Pulaski County), is the sponsor for the Arkansas State Chili Cookoff and has been since its inception. So, Bill Wilkerson and his wife, Toni, and I started the "Mardi Gras" chili team.

In 1989 I qualified for the first time with Wes Richey's (1985 CASI Championship) recipe.

I later found a recipe called "Southern States" which I modified and I still cook with it today.

Nov 1, 1996, became my favorite day in the "chili" world by winning the CASI Terlingua International Chili Championship. On that day I cooked chili as well as did "show". My chili almost burned twice that day. Thankfully Erma Smith of Ft. Smith, AR and Ruth Ann Curtis of Oklahoma warned me in time.

So, a word of thought...."How many times have you won a cookoff from just letting the chili cook and leaving it alone?"

Meat - 2-1/2 pounds of cubed (1/2") chick tender, cubed (1/2") top sirloin roast, or ground chuck

Section 1
1/4 tsp - MSG/ACCENT
1 tbsp - Onion Granules
2 tsp - Garlic Granules
2 tsp - Beef Bouillon Crystals
2 tsp - Chicken Bouillon Crystals
1/4 to 1/2 tsp - Red Pepper (Cayenne)
1/4 tsp - White Pepper
1 tbsp - Paprika
1/2-8 oz can - Unsalted Tomato Sauce

Section 2
2 tbsp - Fort Worth Light Chili Powder
1 tbsp - Gebhardts Chili Powder
1 pkg - Sason
1/2 tsp - Brown Sugar
1 tsp - Catsup

Section 3
1 pkg - Sason
1 tbsp - Fort Worth Light Chili Powder
2 tbsp - Gebhardts Chili Powder
1/2 tsp - MSG/ACCENT
1-1/2 tsp - Ground Cumin

Section 4
1/4 tsp - Red Pepper
2 tsp - Fort Worth Light Chili Powder
2 tsp - Gebhardts Chili Powder
1-1/2 tsp - Cumin
1 tsp - Garlic Granules
1 tsp - Onion Granules
1/2 tsp - Beef Granules
1/2 tsp - Chicken Granules

(1) This is a 3 hour recipe. Brown and cook meat 1/2 hour.

(2) Add Section #1 spices with a can of beef broth, cook for an hour, add tomato sauce, and cook 45 minutes.

(3) Add Section #2 spices and cook for 15 minutes.

(4) Add Section #3 spices and cook for 15 minutes.

(5) Add Section #4 spices and cook for 15 minutes.

Hints: Add water as you cook but don't let it get too thin. If you can taste it without adding spices, go ahead. If you can't, then don't. Spices and Sason obtained through Pendrey's - 1-800-533-1870.