Zach's Award-Winning Chili

And the winner of Joey Arbeely's chili cook-off is . . . Zach Minton!

Here's his killer chili recipe - this will yield about a gallon:

One large onion, chopped

One heaping tsp of minced garlic

Pinch of coarse-ground black pepper

Pinch of kosher sea salt

Chili powder to taste

1 lb. ground turkey or ground beef

One poblano pepper, seeded and finely chopped

2 cans of diced tomatoes, with juice (if you're looking for more kick, get the

     kind that comes with diced jalapenos)

2 cans of light red kidney beans, with juice

One can of sweet corn, drained

One jalapeno pepper, seeded and thinly sliced

1/4 to 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Sauté chopped onion and minced garlic in olive oil with black pepper and salt and a dash of chili powder. After the onions and garlic are sautéed, add the ground turkey/beef with the chopped-up poblano pepper.  As the meat is browning add additional chili powder to taste, and stir occasionally to insure proper mixing. 

When the meat has browned, add the tomatoes, beans and corn and mix thoroughly. Keep adding chili powder to taste as you add more ingredients.  Then add sliced jalapeno pepper to mixture. Add the cinnamon last – it packs a punch at first, but mellows out after cooking. 

Keep the chili on low heat for around 2 to 3 hours or until it has reached the consistency of your dreams.