texas chili

This is Jesse’s chili competition recipe that won over many chefs at the Shanghai 2011 Chili Cook-Off. There are two different types of chilies. One is the competition type and the other is the homestyle. The competition type doesn’t have any fresh ingredients other than the beef itself. And no beans. The reason why they do this is because there could be fluctuation with the taste of onions, the sweetness of the tomatoes and etc. So the competition chili is directly made from dry ingredients to keep it as consistent as possible. Jesse has scaled down his recipe for you to make it at home. What are dumps you ask? Dumps are chili powder mixture going in at different times within the cooking cycle. The longer it cooks, the better it tastes. Enjoy!

4 pounds ground tri-tip
2 tablespoons canola oil
4 cups beef stock
1 1/2 cups tomato paste

Dump 1:
3 dried pablanos
2 dried chipotles
2 tablespoons mild chili powder
2 tablespoons medium spicy chili powder
1 tablespoon paprika
1/2 tablespoon smoked paprika

Dump 2:
2 tablespoons cumin powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
3 tablespoons white vinegar

Cut the tri-tip into 3/8″ cubes.

In a spice grinder, grind the pablanos and chipotle peppers to fine powders.

In a medium stock pot, heat the canola oil on medium-high heat. Pour dump one in and stir around to open up the flavors of the dry ingredients. Throw in the cubed beef, brown then deglaze with the beef stock.

Turn the heat down low, add the tomato paste and simmer the chili for 2 hours.

Add dump two. Cover and simmer for two hours. Reduce the chili if you like a thicker consistency. Total of 4 hours cooking time.

patty-o goodness

One of our all-time favorite comfort foods is, the burger! And this time, the variation is brown beech mushroom and Swiss. It’s easy, fun to make and taste better than any burger joint in Shanghai. Brown beech mushrooms have a slightly crunchy texture and nutty flavor, pairs perfectly with juicy beef and savory fried onions. With roasted garlic aioli served on the side.

2 Australian ground beef patties
3-4 slices ripe tomato
2 slices Swiss cheese
1 cluster brown beech mushrooms
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 red onion, sliced
1/4 cup rice flour
1 small bunch arugula
2 sesame buns
Sweet butter
Canola oil for frying
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Slice the onions, dust them in rice flour and shake off excess. Heat canola oil in a medium pot. Deep fry the onion slices until golden brown. Pull the fried onions and drain on paper towel.

In a saute pan, saute the mushrooms with garlic, season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Season beef patties with salt and pepper on both sides. In a medium saute pan, heat a little bit of canola oil and cook the beef patties to desired temperature. We like our burgers medium-rare on the rare side, about 3 minutes on each side. After flipping the burgers over, top each patty with a slice of Swiss cheese and finish the cooking. Serve immediately on toasted and buttered sesame buns. Top with fresh sliced tomato, arugula, fried onions and sauteed mushrooms.

Roasted Garlic Aioli:

2 egg yolks
1 bulb garlic
1/2 cup good olive oil
1 cup canola oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Wrap the garlic bulb in aluminum foil. Bake the package in the oven for about 35 minutes until garlic is soft.

Squeeze about 1/2 bulb of roasted garlic (add more if you’d like) into a blender. Add all other ingredients in the blender except the oil. Start the blender, slowly drizzle in the olive oil and canola oil. Blend until smooth and fluffy. Can be stored up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.