The Story Behind Our Steel Grill Championship Chili
Some recipes are handed down through generations. Others begin with a little friendly competition.
Ours started back in 1982, when we owned the Steel Grill and entered the Redwood City Chili Cook-Off.
We took first place!
You might think winning a chili competition would be a pretty good reason to leave a recipe alone. But for anyone who loves cooking, there’s always that irresistible question: What if we could make it even better?
So, over the next 44 years, that’s exactly what we’ve tried to do.
And with football season here, we thought it was time to share our latest version.
Great Chili Is About Flavor, Not Just Heat
Anyone can make chili hot. Making chili rich, complex, and memorable is another matter entirely.
Our approach revolves around two things: developing deep, savory flavors in the meats and building a carefully balanced foundation of freshly prepared chiles.
And we don’t take shortcuts with either one.
Three Meats, Three Different Textures
Our chili begins with six pounds of meat: pork shoulder, ground beef, and sirloin steak.
The pork and ground beef are browned in cast iron, while the sirloin is ideally seared over an open flame, developing a flavorful, charred exterior.
That initial searing is important. Browning develops savory flavors you simply can’t create by dropping raw meat into a pot of liquid.
Then we let the meats slow-cook together until the pork and steak become wonderfully tender, while the ground beef adds richness throughout.
But what really takes this chili to another level is what goes into the pot with them.
Forget the Chili Powder. We’re Making Our Own Chile Slurry!
Rather than relying on a premixed chili seasoning, we start with three varieties of whole dried chiles, each selected for a specific contribution to the finished dish.
Ancho chiles provide mellow sweetness, with hints of raisins, dried fruit, and chocolate.
Pasilla, also called Chile Negro, brings darker, earthy flavors, subtle bitterness, and wonderful complexity.
Guajillo chiles add a brighter, slightly tangy fruitiness, balancing the richer flavors while lending the chili its deep red color.
We soften these chiles in beef broth with fresh garlic, then blend them into a thick, intensely flavorful purée.
That becomes the foundation of our chili.
But we’re not finished with the peppers.
A Little Fire Makes Everything Better
Next, we roast fresh poblano peppers, a jalapeño, and sweet onions over an open flame.
The peppers develop a beautifully roasted, savory character, while the onions pick up some caramelized sweetness.
Once the charred skins are removed from the peppers, everything is chopped and ready to join the meats and our freshly made chile slurry.
Finally, crushed tomatoes, cumin, and a little dark molasses help round out the flavors.
Then comes the most important ingredient of all.
Patience.
We let everything slow-cook, giving the meats time to become tender and the different flavors time to come together.
The result is a hearty, richly flavored chili with layers of sweetness, savory depth, earthiness, roasted peppers, and just enough heat to keep things interesting.
From Our Kitchen to Yours
Forty-four years ago, our chili won first place at the Redwood City Chili Cook-Off.
We’ve continued experimenting with it ever since, adjusting the ingredients, refining the techniques, and finding new ways to build flavor.
With football season underway and cooler weather approaching, we can’t think of a better time to share it.
Whether you’re hosting a game-day gathering, entertaining friends, or simply looking forward to a big bowl of homemade chili, we hope you’ll enjoy making this recipe as much as we have enjoyed developing it.
It won first place in 1982. We think the current version is even better.
Give it a try, and let us know what you think!
Steel Grill Championship Chili (PDF DOWNLOAD)
