Rattlesnake Head Chili, Voted “Best Chili” by the “Second Wind” Group

While on the subject of snakes, and things that can bite. A few days ago my Rattlesnake Head Chili won “Best Chili” in a cook-off of chilies for the group known as the “Second Wind” at my church. It’s a group mostly make up by AARP-Types. My wife and most of the other ladies are in the Second Wind group because their husbands qualify.

Why did I name it after a snake? Well, it’s because this chili can sneak up on you and bite you. In other words, it is somewhat spicy. In looking back on the event, I think I won because one or two of the judges were from Texas. They tend to like things hot and spicy. I like Texans.

Speaking of rattlesnakes, the last time I actually saw a Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus Horridus) was in August of 2002 in the Great Smoky Mountains. Saundria, my wife and I were hiking to Ramsey Cascades from the Greenbrier Trailhead, about an 8-mile hike round-trip. It was in August, a wedding anniversary gift to me and it was hot. On our way back (from not quite making it to the waterfalls) we encounter a swarm of locusts bursting into a loud roar. It was almost deafening. No wait, it was a Timber Rattler along side the trail. I had just stepped beside it and then there was Saundria. She actually recognized the sound for what it was, a rattlesnake before I could. He was coiled and ready. His warning was loud and clear, “step back.” I suppose he was “speaking in tongues,” but I was able to translate his words. We stepped back and I took his photo. (No, wait again, I didn’t have my camera.)

There he was, quietly along side the well-walked trail. And like the oblivious to any harm suburbanites we are, we didn’t see him. He could have sunk his fangs into anyone of our four legs (as we weren’t wearing long pants). And everything after what actually happened might have unfolded differently. Fortunately, there was no hospital trip or visit to an emergency clinic.

Now to the real point (don’t you be thinking fang) of this entry. I am going to sneak up on you and give you the recipe to Rattlesnake Head Chili.

Rattlesnake Head Chili
12 –14 Servings
3 pounds ground beef
12 oz of Italian Sausage (Aidells Italian Style Smoked Chicken Sausage), chopped
1 large white onion, chopped
1 ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon oregano
4 cups (8 oz cans) tomato sauce
1 (16 ounce) jar salsa (Pace Picante Hot)
2 packages chili seasoning mix (McCormick Original Chili Seasoning Mix)
2 (15 ounce) cans light red kidney beans
1 (15 ounce) can dark red kidney beans

Directions
In a large pot (or very large saucepan) over medium heat, cook the chopped Italian Sausage. Place into a crock-pot. Then cook the ground beef and the onion and sauté until meat is browned and onion is tender. Drain grease. Put the beef and onion into the crock-pot.

Add the ground black pepper, garlic salt, tomato sauce, salsa, chili seasoning mix and kidney beans. Mix well, reduce heat to low and simmer for at least an hour (or simmer in crock-pot the rest of the day).

The recipe was created looking at several other chili recipes and taking what I thought would make a meaty, flavorful chili. I multiplied ingredient amounts and rounded things up or down to match how things are sold in groceries as well as can and jar sizes, etc. I didn’t want to have a bunch of half-used items that might have to be tossed later on.

So feel free to add another can of beans or onion, take away a package of chili seasoning, or reduce the heat by getting a jar of “medium” salsa. But beware, it is the year of the snake and a little bite may be fun. The judges from Texas thought so.