From deer meat to Grand Marnier to raspberry jam everyone at the Big 105 and The Drive’s Chili Cook Off had their own spin on the classic dish.
About 14 booths were set up in the parking lot near London Drugs Thursday for the annual chili cook off in support of the Kidney Foundation.
Personalities from Big 105 and The Drive judged the chilis and awarded prizes.
For Clayton Willington, of the Red Stag Barber Shop, the secret ingredient was deer meat and beer. But Yvette Meaud had a different idea.
“Love. Definitely love,” said Meaud. “We’re full of love.
“The more the meat the better.”
Best ingredient went to Points West Living, Radisson Hotel took the people’s choice award, and the grand winner was the Red Stag Barbershop.
The Radisson brought two different pots of chili to the cook off, saying they aimed to please more eaters with a meat chili and a vegetarian version, that was vegan if you don’t put the accompanying yogurt on top of it.
While the vegetarian chili was tandoori in flavour, the Radisson’s meat chili relied on some different ingredients.
“We actually have raspberry jam, pears and bacon,” said Gary Schwandt, Radisson food and beverage manager.
“In a good chili, almost everything can be put into it, as long as you marry the flavours together.”
Paolo San Andreas, a chef with Points West Living, took the rustic approach and used diced beef instead of ground beef.
“We added some pork belly and bacon for moisture,” said San Andreas. “For a unique flavour, we added sliced oranges and Grand Marnier.
“It was a team effort, everyone had a hand in it.”
Jellybean Catering had a chili under the sea theme that had many of the usual ingredients, but also included some cherries.
“There is a lot of stuff, but you get all the flavours and it’s not overpowering with any one flavour,” said Samtha Whitmore. “It’s a new recipe, I just created it for the cook off.”
mcrawford@reddeeradvocate.com
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