How Do You Make Award Winning Chili Powder?
There are a lot of good commercial chili powders out there that winning chili-heads use, but making your own gives you much more control over ingredients. My chili has won 3, 2 and 1st the past 4 years in local competition. Now yours can be a winner too! With scissors or carefully with a knife, open the chile’s at the top near the stem. Cut down one side and open pods like a book. Dried chile pods are not completely dehydrated and will still be pliable. Don’t worry if they don’t exactly co-operate. Discard the seeds and remove and discard the whitish ribs. The ribs and seeds are fibrous and tough and don’t add anything to the dish. You don’t necessarily want heat in your chili powder. That you can add later. In a dry pan over low heat lay your open pods flat (use a bacon press or other pan on top to keep them in contact with the heat). Toast for 2 mins per side. Allow to cool. You will most likely have to do this in batches. Toasting brings out the chile oils and allows your end produc
