"Blair P. Houghton" > wrote in message
oups.com...
Rich wrote:
> Once again, I'm trying to replicate the recipe that wowed the judges. If I
> can figure out the ingredients in Gebhardt® chili powder, I can decide
> whether I really need to use the product, (I'm not trying to impress
> ConAgra) or if the other ingredients can be adjusted to cover the
> Gebhardt®
> flavors. If it's just anchos, cumin, oregano, and garlic powder, those
> ingredients are already in the recipe independently, so why bother?
Probably a lost cause. Gebhardt's is an old, famous, and very
successful brand. Their exact blend is likely to be an
I-could-tell-you-but-then-I'd-have-to-kill-you grade of industrial
secret. And in things like chili powders, the differences in
stoichiometry can be small yet crucial.
Is the problem that you can't get Gebhardt's? It's available in a lot
of grocery stores, and I have no doubt if you go to froogle.com you can
find a reasonable online supplier.
I generally adulterate it with extra cumin, garlic, oregano, and hot
paprika, but even with none of those it makes classic chili.
Starting from scratch, you'll want a mix of earthy, bright, and hot
chile varieties. Guajillo, ancho, and pequin, for example. With
several thousand varieties to choose from, the combinatorics are
astronomical.
Then add some cumin, garlic, and oregano (Mexican oregano if you can
get it, but only for authenticity; the regular kind is fine), and maybe
onion.
The peppers and herbs should all be a dry type, if your goal is a
powdered mix. Doing it all from fresh creates a very different, but
very interesting flavor.
I make a damn good chili already, using powdered chiles, dried chile pods,
fresh garlic, onions, etc. I'm just trying to make some of that "World
Champion Chili" to see what the fuss is all about. I don't want to mess with
the recipe, I just want to replicate it as closely as possible. The reason I
was asking about the ingredients in Gebhardt's is just wondering if it
really is necessary to the recipe or is there because Mr. Wilkey knew that
cookoff sponsor ConAgra was adding $5000 to the prize if the winning recipe
included Wesson® Oil, Gebhardt® chile powder, Hunt's® Tomato Sauce, Ro*Tel®
Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies, and Tabasco® Pepper Sauce.
Here's the recipe:
http://www.chilicookoff.com/Winner/WC_2005.asp
It's all pretty straightforward except for those "mild," "hot," and "red"
chili [sic] powders. I plan to use Chamayo Hot New Mexico and the Chamayo
Mild New Mexico, and go with anchos powder for the "red" in my initial test
batch (as suggested by zxcvbob). Oh, and I will use all the ConAgra products
initially, too, at first, including the Gebhardt's. Later, if I like the
result, I'll experiment with replacing the commercial products with
homemade. The canned tomato products and the canned broths are loaded with
salt, for example, and I prefer to control the seasonings independently. My
own broths will certainly be an improvement, especially the beef broth. The
commercial shit is mostly salt and caramel coloring.
--
--Rich
Recommended websites:
http://www.ratbags.com/rsoles
http://www.acahf.org.au
http://www.quackwatch.org/
http://www.skeptic.com/
http://www.csicop.org/