Trokay Chili
(This recipe was a contender in the Truckee Chili Cookoff in 2013. It is a collaboration between Chef John Weatherson and Nyna Weatherson, owners of Restaurant Trokay, and their Chef de Cuisine, Laura Moore. It is a Texas-style chili with a twist. Serves 4)
“We like to make everything traditional and untraditional at the same time,” Moore says. “Simple is the easiest.”
¼ pound ground pork
¼ pound ground veal
¼ pound ground beef
2 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes
1 fresh poblano ancho pepper, diced into ¼-inch pieces
1 red bell pepper, diced ¼ inch
1 green bell pepper, diced ¼ inch
1 yellow bell pepper, diced ¼ inch
1 medium white onion, diced ¼ inch
¼ jar of piquillo peppers
1 ghost chili
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon piri piri powder
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon black pepper
Salt to taste
Sour cream or crème fraîche, shredded Cheddar cheese, and chives (for garnish)
Heat large rondeau or stock pot on high and add meat. Once golden brown, strain the meat into a strainer with a large bowl beneath the strainer to reserve the rendered fat; add the reserved rendered fat back to the pan and set the meat aside. Add the bell peppers, piquillo peppers, and onion and sauté in the rendered fat from the meat. Season with salt. Cover the pot with a lid over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until fully cooked.
Add garlic powder, chili powder, and piri piri powder. Allow spices to bloom with the vegetables for 1 minute.
Add the meat back to the pot, along with crushed tomatoes, white pepper, and black pepper. Simmer for 2 hours.
Wrap the ghost chili pepper with cheesecloth and use butcher’s twine to tie off the end. Steep in the chili, as you would a tea bag in hot water. After three to 10 minutes, depending on desired level of spiciness, remove the ghost chili sachet.
Taste the chili and add salt to taste, if necessary. Garnish with sour cream or crème fraîche, shredded Cheddar cheese, and chives.
