ST. LUCIE JAILHOUSE CHILI
(1st Place in St. Lucie County, FL, Chili Cook-off in the 1980s)
Serves 6-8
2 1/2 pounds chuck roast
1 1/2 pounds pork chops -- center-cut
3 cups onion -- chopped
2 cups celery -- chopped
1 whole garlic bulb -- peeled and crushed
4 Dehydrated green chilies --
(or 2 small cans diced green chilies)
1 can tomato sauce -- 16 oz.
Warm water
Olive oil
2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon black pepper -- freshly ground
1 tablespoon coriander -- freshly ground
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon cumin -- ground
4 tablespoons chili powder, or up to 6 tablespoons, good quality
1 cup grapefruit juice -- Indian River
4 tablespoons Blue cornmeal, up to 6, depending how juicy chili is
Juice of lime
If using dried chilies, soak for at least two hours in hot water and save one cup of water.
Remove most of the fat and cut the meat into small cubes. Sear the meat using two tablespoons of olive oil. Place seared meat in stock pot or large cooking pot on medium heat.
Add chilies and tomato sauce. Rinse tomato sauce can with warm water and add. Sauté onions, celery and garlic until clear and add to the pot.
Combine spices in jar with a lid. Add one cup warm water, shake well and pour into pot. Rinse jar with grapefruit juice and pour into pot. Reduce heat, cook for two hours making sure chili continues bubbling slightly. Stir occasionally. After the two hours check for salt taste.
Combine the cornmeal and one cup of warm water in a jar with the lid. Shake well and stir into pot. Cook 30 minutes more.
Stir in lime juice to taste immediately before serving. (Note: You can skip this and serve chili with lime quarters.)
NOTES : Fresh spices make a big difference here, so know your sources. Grind them yourself if possible.
CREATED BY: Dennis Joyce, Mary Dodge, Ted Burrows of the Port St. Lucie News Team