Doggone Chili 

(my version of Shotgun Willie chili) 
by Jacci Howard Bear, About Austin, TX

http://austin.about.com/library/food/blchili-doggone.htm 

With temperatures dipping into the 30s, possibly lower, it was a perfect 
night for chili. To warm up the insides while it's cold outside, I chose a 
pepper-heavy recipe to try. My Doggone Chili is based on the 1985 ICS 
World Champion, Shotgun Willie chili. My own version varies slightly in 
the ingredients and preparation.

Ingredients: 
• 6 lbs H-E-B brand Beef Chuck for Chili 
• 3 medium-large onions, finely chopped 
• 6 Bolner's Fiesta brand New Mexico Chili pods 
• 6 Bolner's Fiesta brand Pasilla Pepper pods 
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Adams brand Oregano in 1 cup of chili water* ("tea") 
• 14 cloves of garlic, pressed 
• 9 heaping tablespoons Adams brand Chili Powder 
• 2 tablespoons Adams brand Ground Cumin 
• 1 teaspoon Adams brand Cayenne Pepper 
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar 
• 4 cups beef stock 
• 1 15-oz can Hunts Tomato Sauce 
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar 
• 1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce 
• Black pepper and Salt to taste 
* chili water is the water leftover from boiling the dried peppers 

These specific brands are optional but I chose to use Central Texas 
ingredients such as Austin-based Adams Spices and San Antonio-based 
Bolner's Fiesta brand peppers. This recipe feeds 6-8.

Instructions:
Remove stems and seeds from chili pods. 

Place chili pods in saucepan, cover with water, and boil for about 40 minutes. 

Mash chili pods through a sieve to remove membrane or scrape the pulp 
from the skins with a spoon. The skin can be bitter so you want to get as 
much of it as possible out of the pulp. Make a paste of the pulp. DO NOT 
THROW OUT THE WATER. Hold for later. You'll use about 1 cup of chili pulp. 

Make a "tea" of the oregano leaves by brewing in 1 cup of boiling chili water 
(reserved from boiled chili pods). Strain the "tea" and set aside. 

Speed Tip: Chop onions ahead of time to cut down on prep time on chili night. 

Brown meat 1 pound at a time, seasoning with black pepper. Brown onions 
along with the meat. Use slotted spoon to remove meat and onions to your 
chili cooking pot as it browns. 

Speed Tip: Use two skillets/burners to brown 2 pounds of meat at a time to 
speed up this step. 

Cook the crushed garlic briefly before adding to chili pot. 

Add the remaining ingredients (garlic, chili paste, chili powder, cayenne 
powder, cumin, sugar, oregano "tea," tomato sauce, beef broth, vinegar, 
and Tabasco sauce) and stir well. 

Simmer covered, stirring occasionally, for about 2 hours. (Put it all in a 
crock pot and simmer all day long or overnight - chili doesn't have to be 
served right away and often tastes better as leftovers!) 

Serve over chunks of Southern cornbread (I actually made cornbread from 
scratch instead of a mix!). 

This Doggone Chili was enjoyed by all, even more enthusiastically than 
last week's milder offering. The heat level was decidedly warm but very 
tasty.