The Most Interesting Chili in the World, pt. 2: Post-Game Analysis
We still have eyebrows. Some observations to keep in mind for next time, or if you decide to make some chili with this recipe.
- Next time, no scotch bonnet or serrano. There was enough flavor going on that it would still be just fine without these, and it was just a little too hot. I enjoyed mine, and Kirsten got through hers (big thanks to Tilamook for the gobs of sour cream!), but we went a few inches past Cousin Sarah’s Spice Enjoyment Threshold, and that’s no good.
- The cactus leaf was actually kind of boring. I was hoping it would taste a lot funkier, but the description I read about it tasting like a green bean was pretty much right on. It was good, I guess, but I just wanted it to be more weird and exotic. I sort of wanted to taste it and have to decide whether I liked it or not. Oh well.
- I added some ground cumin and dark chocolate before it was done. Probably about a tablespoon (and a half?) of cumin and four squares of dark chocolate. The cumin was just right, but it could have used at least double the chocolate. I tasted it in one bit (and only one bite, unfortunately), and it was awesome. Another possibility: use a porter instead of the lager. But then the whole Dos Equis thing… Nevermind. Chocolate it is.
- Dude! Those beans took forever to cook! I soaked them overnight (the black beans dyed the pinto beans purple, which was kinda nifty) and they still were dry and crumbly at 6 hours’ cook time! Amazing. They were good by the time we ate, though.
- Next time, I’m cutting the stew beef into smaller chunks. It was cooked enough to be tender and all that, but the flavors didn’t really go deeply into the meat the way I feel like they should.
- Need to find a way to make it less watery. The beer contributes a lot of the flavor, so I’m not sure exactly how to pull this off.
Bottom line: I think we have a keeper, but it needs some tuning to make it ready for prime time. A little toning down of the heat for mass market appeal, and some more thought put into differentiating (the chocolate is a good first step), and we may really have a winner in the future. If you want to give it a try (with the amendments here) and let me know how it turns out, I’d love to hear your story.