1996 Virginia State Fair Chili from Chef Maxwell's Kitchen, First Place Trophy Winner
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In the late 1960's Granddaddy Bill was pleased to serve as an Honorary Judge for the swine competition at the Virginia State Fair. (His services were not needed for the ever-popular pig races, however.) For his service as a judge Granddaddy was given a Pigs Are People, Too! pin that he proudly wore and later passed along to his daughter Sarah. Here we include a recipe that was awarded a 1996 Virginia State Fair First Place Trophy, Chili from Chef Maxwell's Kitchen.
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon peanut oil
2 pounds diced beef
1 pound diced pork
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced green pepper
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 cup salsa
1/2 cup tomato paste
1/2 cup red wine
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons ground cumin seed
2 Chipotle peppers, minced
2 fresh Ancho peppers, diced
1 cup strong coffee
1/2 gallon beef stock
2 cups par-cooked black beans
2 cups par-cooked Anasazi beans
1/2 gallon diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon black pepper
1/4 cup malt vinegar
Directions:
Brown the beef and pork in the oil in a heavy-bottomed stockpot. Add onion and garlic and sauté until the garlic is browned. Add tomato paste and cook for 5 minutes. Deglaze with red wine and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and cook for about 1 hour or until the meat and beans are tender and the sauce thickens. Serves about 24.
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon peanut oil
2 pounds diced beef
1 pound diced pork
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced green pepper
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 cup salsa
1/2 cup tomato paste
1/2 cup red wine
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons ground cumin seed
2 Chipotle peppers, minced
2 fresh Ancho peppers, diced
1 cup strong coffee
1/2 gallon beef stock
2 cups par-cooked black beans
2 cups par-cooked Anasazi beans
1/2 gallon diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon black pepper
1/4 cup malt vinegar
Directions:
Brown the beef and pork in the oil in a heavy-bottomed stockpot. Add onion and garlic and sauté until the garlic is browned. Add tomato paste and cook for 5 minutes. Deglaze with red wine and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and cook for about 1 hour or until the meat and beans are tender and the sauce thickens. Serves about 24.
Literary Note:
Peter Applebome interviewed Richmond-native and prize-winning author Tom Wolfe and wrote the following in The New York Times on Nov. 11, 1998:
“[Tom] Wolfe ... each night when he got down on his knees to pray … began by thanking God for the miraculous gift of his place of birth.
‘I used to think of it every night,’ he said, as he sipped his tomato (‘ta-MAH-to’) juice with a dash of salt and pepper. ‘First, I thanked God for having been born in America, which was obviously the greatest country on earth. I was pretty dead right on that. And in what was obviously the greatest state, because more presidents came from Virginia than anywhere else. And from the greatest city in the greatest state in the greatest country, because it was the capital of Virginia. Just think of all the people not fortunate enough to be born in Richmond, Va.’
He paused a moment to contemplate that injustice for a moment [sic] and realized he had not fully conveyed his enthusiasm. ‘Oh,’ he added, ‘and I also thought I lived in the best location in the greatest city because from my window, when the state fair was in town, I could see all the fireworks. How many children could say that? I can see now that I had -- what's the word? -- literally an egocentric view of the world. But it wasn't all that far from the truth.’”
Peter Applebome interviewed Richmond-native and prize-winning author Tom Wolfe and wrote the following in The New York Times on Nov. 11, 1998:
“[Tom] Wolfe ... each night when he got down on his knees to pray … began by thanking God for the miraculous gift of his place of birth.
‘I used to think of it every night,’ he said, as he sipped his tomato (‘ta-MAH-to’) juice with a dash of salt and pepper. ‘First, I thanked God for having been born in America, which was obviously the greatest country on earth. I was pretty dead right on that. And in what was obviously the greatest state, because more presidents came from Virginia than anywhere else. And from the greatest city in the greatest state in the greatest country, because it was the capital of Virginia. Just think of all the people not fortunate enough to be born in Richmond, Va.’
He paused a moment to contemplate that injustice for a moment [sic] and realized he had not fully conveyed his enthusiasm. ‘Oh,’ he added, ‘and I also thought I lived in the best location in the greatest city because from my window, when the state fair was in town, I could see all the fireworks. How many children could say that? I can see now that I had -- what's the word? -- literally an egocentric view of the world. But it wasn't all that far from the truth.’”