High Country Chili Verde

Joseph Barrett

1999 1st Annual Chili Verde

Championship

Joe Barrett of Lake Arrowhead, California is ICS's 1st World's Chili Verde Champion, and is also $5,000 richer. Joe, representing the State of California won ICS' first ever World's Championship Chili Verde Cookoff in Las Vegas. He also represented the State of Texas in the ICS Red Chili and the Laughlin NV Regional in the Salsa competitions. His first cookoff was as part of the Chamber team at Conejo Valley Days in 1982. Later he and his wife Marilee became High Country Chili and made a great team until Marilee decided she didn't like the recipe and began doing her own thing (she also qualified for and cooked all three events this year). Five times so far, Joe has qualified for and cooked in the World's Championship Chili Cookoff. His first pot of Chili Verde was adapted from the recipe on the back of a can of tomatillos. He has made numerous changes over the years and qualified for the GCA Championship in 1997. He continued improving his recipe to win the 1st World's Championship Chili Verde competition in 1999.

 Ingredients:

Vegetables:
2 lbs diced green chilies (mild) 1 bunch chopped cilantro
1 lb diced green chilies (hot) 1 pasilla pepper, seeded & diced
1½ lb diced green tomatillos, husked & quartered 4 minced jalapeno peppers (2 seeded & deveined)
1 bell pepper, seeded & chopped 4 serrano peppers, seeded & minced
2 bunches chopped green onions 8 cloves garlic, pressed
19 oz Las Palmas Green Enchilada Sauce

Meats:
Powders:

3 lb Pork Sirloin Tip, ½" cubed 2 Tbs green chili powder

½ lb sausage, fried and chopped fine 7 Tbs cumin
5 oz can white meat chicken, drain & chop 2 Tbs MSG
6 Tbs Lard Salt & Tabasco Habanero Hot Sauce as needed
 

Instructions:

Place all vegetables and powders in large pot and stir well. Fry pork with garlic in lard until light crust forms on cubes. Drain & pat dry with paper towels to remove excess lard then add to pot with vegetables. Bring to boil and reduce to simmer. After one hour add sausage. With 1 hour cooking time remaining add chicken. Stir occasionally through the 3 hour cooking time. Check for salt and add as needed. Last 10 minutes check for heat and add Tabasco Habanero Hot Sauce as needed