My Quest For More Chili Heat

 In my quest to find more heat for my chili I have been going in circles until I finally found the answers I was seeking. Eventhough I want to give my chili more heat I still want it to be able to be eaten without a trip to the emergency room. I haven’t screwed with my original recipe for chili since 2002 when I began adding Ghost Peppers (Bhut Jolokia) to it for increased heat. If y’all want to see what my chili has to offer then y’all will need to follow the link to my Diablo Scorpion Chili recipe and read up on it. Don’t forget to come back to finish reading here. Over the years I have provided the scale pictured below when people taste my Diablo Scorpion Chili for the first time. Most people rate the heat somewhere between Blistering (the lowest) and Scorching (the highest) but I have always wanted to create a chili even hotter. So, I set off in a quest of sorts to be able to experiment with new heat. Unfortunately, the three (3) additional peppers I found (they chose me by the way) only were able to be purchased in seed form which meant I would have to add them to my collection of items I grow just for the Diablo Scorpion Chili. After some trial and error I was able to grow all three of my new pepper varieties, the Tears of Fire pepper, the Trinidad Scorpion pepper, and the Morgua Scorpion pepper. Although they are not ready (ripe) for the picking just yet I have been having a hard time not thinking about how they will be introduced into my existing chili. Then I had a thought, why not just evolve my current chili into a new species and call it the Tears Of The Scorpion Chili. I’m not sold on the name yet, but for now it will work. I need to have a virtual contest of sorts to help me pick a name. No prize, just a mention for your effort.

My goal is to take my heat level up to “Nuclear” yet still keep the flavor and keep it where it can still be consumed by the average human. I have contacted four commercial “labs” inquiring if my chili can be tested using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) to find the actual Scoville Heat Units (SHU) that exists. All four wrote back to me and said it is possible. All they need me to do is provide them with my food handlers license for Texas, proof of restaurant location, list of per gram weight of each item in my chili, provide a check or money order in advance in the amounts of $8,373.87 (low bid) to $17,411.56 (high bid), and a dehydrated sample of no less than 1814.37 grams (4lbs) of the “food” to be sampled. So, I will have to find another way because I get asked the approximate SHU value when I occasionally compete making my chili from scratch in  chili cook offs which I have to follow CASI rules. Something I have never won 1st place in, but have placed and taken home money for. But I don’t make my chili to compete with other people making chili. I make my chili for friends and family mostly, well, that is, for those who are still brave enough to keep eating it over the years. On the plus side it hasn’t killed anyone yet or sent anyone to the hospital. However, I know a few who were wishing for death a time or two or seven since the current peppers I use range from 5,000 to 1,131,000 Scoville Heat Units (SHU).

Soon I will be able to harvest my new peppers and start having a little fun. Have I ever mentioned that I do not eat my own chili? I don’t even taste it, ever. Why? First of all I don’t actually care for chili and second, since I make it I know what’s in it, therefore, I’m no dumbass. With that being said, I have offered my Diablo Scorpion Chili recipe for a few years now on my blogs, free for the taking, all I have ever asked is that people tell me what they think after they make it. Over time there has been 146 brave souls who have made it (or a toned down version), consumed it, and have reported back to me. So, look forward to seeing my evolved version of chili using my new ingredients. I’m still shopping for a name, well, not actually shopping, more like picking some brains for ideas. If I don’t get any bites I will probably just roll with Tears Of The Scorpion Chili. If you want to help you can comment here or e-mail Scorpion Sting with your ideas.

Diablo Scorpion

See Diablo Scorpion Chili

Diablo Scorpion Chili

I don’t know the exact Scoville heat factor for my chili. I know it’s freaking hot. This, ironically, is how the name Diablo Scorpion came about. It burns like hell going in and has a pretty wicked sting coming out as well. Why people like it is beyond me, but they do. I make chili year round, at least once a month, if not more because of the holidays. It’s my wife’s favorite dish that I make. She would eat it all the time if I would make it. These days, I have become smarter. I make roughly 3 gallons of chili at a time. She has a meal of it the first day, we keep out another meals worth in the fridge, and then I freeze the rest in two serving size bowls for her to pull out and heat up at her leisure. I have been making this version of my chili for about 25 years. I make others, inspired in part where I have lived in the past and the flavor influences of that region of the world.

So, what makes it hot? The ingredients, the slow simmering of the flavors, and the fact (my opinion) that I grow most of my ingredients and I have my own chili powder blend that I have mastered over the years. I will pass on the chili powder mix when I am unable to cook someday. The rest I am going to give to you as my way of giving back to so many people that have helped me over the years with great dish and meal ideas. It’s funny, I enter quite a few chili cook offs here locally in the Houston area. I have won a few over the years, but not all. I do get quite a few placements just for heat. The heat will numb your teeth, gums, tongue, inside of your mouth, and your throat within the first two bites, and then you can enjoy the flavor. So, if you don’t mind sweating while you eat, this is the perfect chili for you. I must give one absolute warning that always must be adhered to. Never, under any circumstances, get this chili in, near, or around your eyes because it has about the same effect as U.S. Military Grade Pepper Spray. As a personal warning, I do not recommend breathing, burping, farting, or any other expellation of gases in or around any open flame source.

So, you want to make my chili? First you will need the ingredients. As mentioned, almost everything I use is homegrown and fresh off the bush. Grown in my garden are Jalapeno Peppers, Serrano Peppers, Habanero Peppers, Tomatoes, Green Chiles, and Mushrooms. However, if you cannot provide fresh, I guess store bought or even canned/jarred will work also. Gives me the shudders just thinking that my chili would be made from a can. So, the ingredients list first, and then I will give instruction on preparation and cooking. This recipe is based on about a 3 gallon yield, so you might have to scale the portions if needed. For those of you who cook, there should be no problem.

Diablo Scorpion Chili

4 cup Jose Cuervo Silver Tequila
5 lbs Lean Ground Beef
2 cup Jalapeno Peppers, sliced and chopped
2 cup Serrano Peppers, sliced and chopped
½ cup Ghost Peppers, chopped finely
½ cup Red Savina Habanero Peppers, chopped finely
2 cup Green Chile Peppers, chopped finely
2 cup Mushrooms, sliced (optional)
2 cup Black Olives, sliced (optional)
2 cup Green Olives, sliced (optional)
3 can Red Kidney Beans (optional)
6 lrg Tomatoes diced to preference
¼ cup Tabasco Sauce (pick your own flavor, I use the Original)
¼ cup Salt
¼ cup Pepper (I use white ground)
3 cup Chili dry mix (my secret, see below for alternate dry ingredients that will be substituted)
5 pkg Chili Mix (found in the store with the gravy)
1 tbs Onion Powder (or Onion Salt)
1 tbs Garlic Powder (or Garlic Salt)

1 tbs Lemon and Herb mix spice
½ cup Chili Powder
½ cup Granulated Sugar (optional) (see note)
8 cup Water (tap or bottled, your choice) (add or decrease based on thickness desired.)
Note: You can add about 1/2 cup of sugar also, if you want, it helps take off some of the edge without messing up the flavor or making it sweet.

Preparations:

Chop/ slice/ dice everything that needs to have it done, be sure to keep all juices, seeds, and skins with it. Drain and rinse beans.

Brown ground beef, add in 2 cups of tequila, jalapeno peppers, Serrano peppers, Habanero peppers, and chiles. When ground beef is browned, do not drain.

Add everything else including the other two cups of tequila Use the amount of water you wish to get your desired thickness. Chili mix will thicken some as it cooks and blends under heat. Bring the entire chili mixture to a boil, stirring lightly. Let boil ten minutes then turn down the heat, cover, and let it simmer to stew and meld all the ingredients (stirring on occassion) for 1 ½ to 2 hours for best flavor results.

And now you have Diablo Scorpion Chili, enjoy.

Diablo Scorpion Chili

Originally posted 17 November 2011

I don’t know the exact Scoville heat factor for my chili. I know it’s freaking hot. This, ironically, is how the name Diablo Scorpion came about. It burns like hell going in and has a pretty wicked sting coming out as well. Why people like it is beyond me, but they do. I make chili year round, at least once a month, if not more because of the holidays. It’s my wife’s favorite dish that I make. She would eat it all the time if I would make it. These days, I have become smarter. I make roughly 3 gallons of chili at a time. She has a meal of it the first day, we keep out another meals worth in the fridge, and then I freeze the rest in two serving size bowls for her to pull out and heat up at her leisure. I have been making this version of my chili for about 25 years. I make others, inspired in part where I have lived in the past and the flavor influences of that region of the world.So, what makes it hot? The ingredients, the slow simmering of the flavors, and the fact (my opinion) that I grow most of my ingredients and I have my own chili powder blend that I have mastered over the years. I will pass on the chili powder mix when I am unable to cook someday. The rest I am going to give to you as my way of giving back to so many people that have helped me over the years with great dish and meal ideas. It’s funny, I enter quite a few chili cook offs here locally in the Houston area. I have won a few over the years, but not all. I do get quite a few placements just for heat. The heat will numb your teeth, gums, tongue, inside of your mouth, and your throat within the first two bites, and then you can enjoy the flavor. So, if you don’t mind sweating while you eat, this is the perfect chili for you. I must give one absolute warning that always must be adhered to. Never, under any circumstances, get this chili in, near, or around your eyes because it has about the same effect as U.S. Military Grade Pepper Spray. As a personal warning, I do not recommend breathing, burping, farting, or any other expellation of gases in or around any open flame source.

So, you want to make my chili? First you will need the ingredients. As mentioned, almost everything I use is homegrown and fresh off the bush. Grown in my garden are Jalapeno Peppers, Serrano Peppers, Habanero Peppers, Tomatoes, Green Chiles, and Mushrooms. However, if you cannot provide fresh, I guess store bought or even canned/jarred will work also. Gives me the shudders just thinking that my chili would be made from a can. So, the ingredients list first, and then I will give instruction on preparation and cooking. This recipe is based on about a 3 gallon yield, so you might have to scale the portions if needed. For those of you who cook, there should be no problem.

Diablo Scorpion Chili

4 cup Jose Cuervo Silver Tequila
5 lbs Lean Ground Beef
2 cup Jalapeno Peppers, sliced and chopped
2 cup Serrano Peppers, sliced and chopped
½ cup Ghost Peppers, chopped finely
½ cup Habanero Peppers, chopped finely
2 cup Green Chile Peppers, chopped finely
2 cup Mushrooms, sliced (optional)
2 cup Black Olives, sliced (optional)
2 cup Green Olives, sliced (optional)
3 can Red Kidney Beans (optional)
6 lrg Tomatoes diced to preference
¼ cup Tabasco Sauce (pick your own flavor, I use the Original)
¼ cup Salt
¼ cup Pepper (I use white ground)
3 cup Chili dry mix (my secret, see below for alternate dry ingredients that will be substituted)
5 pkg Chili Mix (found in the store with the gravy)
1 tbs Onion Powder (or Onion Salt)
1 tbs Garlic Powder (or Garlic Salt) 1 tbs Lemon and Herb mix spice
½ cup Chili Powder
½ cup Granulated Sugar (optional) (see note)
8 cup Water (tap or bottled, your choice) (add or decrease based on thickness desired.)
Note: You can add about 1/2 cup of sugar also, if you want, it helps take off some of the edge without messing up the flavor or making it sweet.

Preparations:

Chop/ slice/ dice everything that needs to have it done, be sure to keep all juices, seeds, and skins with it. Drain and rinse beans.

Brown ground beef, add in 2 cups of tequila, jalapeno peppers, Serrano peppers, Habanero peppers, and chiles. When ground beef is browned, do not drain.

Add everything else including the other two cups of tequila Use the amount of water you wish to get your desired thickness. Chili mix will thicken some as it cooks and blends under heat. Bring the entire chili mixture to a boil, stirring lightly. Let boil ten minutes then turn down the heat, cover, and let it simmer to stew and meld all the ingredients (stirring on occassion) for 1 ½ to 2 hours for best flavor results.

And now you have Diablo Scorpion Chili, enjoy.