5th annual chili cook-off

It’s one of our favorite work events of the year – our annual chili cook-off. This year we had six worthy contenders, ranging from classic Grandma-style chili to a noteworthy Thai-inspired vegetarian lentil chili.

All six competitors lugged their crock pots into the office that morning with high hopes of victory; the rest of us pitched in by supplying an impressive amount of chili toppings. Stomachs were growling all morning long as delicious smells wafted from the kitchen throughout the office. The struggle is real, folks. #foodmarketingproblems

By lunchtime, we all bolted into the kitchen for some serious chili sampling. Avocados were chopped. Sour cream was scooped. Cheese was sprinkled. And don’t even get us started on the to-die-for cornbread croutons. Bowls were loaded up and refilled multiple times – proof that we’ve got some talented chili makers in-house!

Every employee voted for their top three chilis, but only one could come out on top. The winner: Tim Souther’s Chipotle Adobo Chili, filled with savory grass-fed ground beef, pinto beans and peppers, with just enough spice to keep things interesting. Try it for yourself!

Tim’s Award-Winning Grass-Fed Chipotle Adobo Chili

Servings: 10-12
Preparation time: Around 6 hours

Ingredients:

• 16 ounces dried pinto beans
• 1 (12-ounce) can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 sweet white onions, chopped
• 2 red bell peppers, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 1 ¼ pounds grass-fed ground beef
• Kosher salt, to taste
• Pepper, to taste
• 2 (28-ounce) cans fire-roasted tomatoes

Directions:

1. Quick soak the dried beans.
   • Dump beans into colander. Check for, and remove, any stones or debris. Rinse.
   • Transfer to the saucepan and cover with 2 inches cold water. Bring the water to a boil, cook for 2 minutes. Remove them from heat and cover with lid.
   • Soak for at least 1 hour. Drain.
2. Remove chipotle peppers from adobo sauce and mince them. Save the sauce.
3. Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat; sauté onions and red peppers until the onions are soft.
4. Add the garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds or so.
5. Add the minced chipotle peppers and cumin.
6. Add ground beef; brown the meat, leaving the pieces fairly large. Season with a few pinches salt and pepper.
7. Dump in the tomatoes, pinto beans and adobo sauce.
8. Simmer for however long your heart tells you (I let mine go for about 5 hours, then transferred to a crock pot and let it go for another few).

Topping suggestions:

• Cheese
• Sour cream
• Avocado
• Cilantro
• Cornbread croutons
• Green onions

We love our taste tests around here.