Evolution Chili

I have been making my own chili for a long time and when I was much younger it was all about the heat. As I have developed as a cook my taste direction and goals have also changed. The old recipe resulted in a spike of sharp heat (from mostly chili powder, chili flakes and cayenne pepper). Recently I decided to take a new approach to chili. I was looking for a warm sensation that was much more well rounded and a more complex pepper flavor.

In the days beforehand I injected a strip loin with Louisiana hot sauce and let it marinate for a couple of days. On the day of the chili preparation I put it on the BBQ at 220° for about 4 hours basting occasionally with liquid from the simmering chili.
UPDATE: The above did not turn out as well as I hoped. It was okay. Subsequent versions I have braised a pot roast in low salt beef stock until tender. I then reduced the stock by about 2/3. The reduction went into the chili.
I started with the standard of canned tomatoes, browned sweet onions (in chili flake olive oil, see below), black beans and Mexican red beans.
The key of course is the melange of pepper flavors…Here is what I put in.
Separate from the chili you are making this pepper sauce.
2 Fresh Red Peppers
2 Fresh Cubanelle Peppers
1 Fresh Scotch Bonnet Pepper
2 Fresh Jalapeno Peppers
2 Fresh Banana Peppers
2 Pickled Banana Peppers
2 Fresh red chili’s
2 Fresh green chili’s
3 Chipotle Peppers
2 Jalapeno’s stuffed with Feta Cheese
2T Lousiana Hot Sauce
2T fresh ground chili paste (srirachi or sambal oelek)
1/2 cup Chili Powder
2t Cayenne Powder
2T Paprika
2T Tabasco Sauce
20 grinds of Black Pepper

For all the fresh peppers (seeds out) I sauteed them in a chili flake infused olive oil I have. Once they were soft I added the spices and sauces. Heat through and then puree in the blender until smooth.
I made about 4L of chili and required on 3 heaping tablespoons to give a faint heat.

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