George’s Mexican Chili
Chef’s Notebook Edition • Day of the Dead Food Products
Handwritten flavor logic • Competition-aware technique
Ingredients
Guajillo chiles (4), Árbol chiles (2–3)
• Olive oil & butter
• Yellow onion, celery, carrots, jalapeño, garlic
• Whole Roma tomatoes w/ sauce (2 cans)
• Tomato paste (2 small cans)
• Mexican chorizo (½ lb), ground beef 80/20 (1½ lb)
• Pinto beans (2 cans)
• Cumin, black pepper
• McCormick Chili Powder
• Maggi seasoning, Worcestershire sauce
• Tobias Garlic Salt
• Day of the Dead Blackened Ghost seasoning
• Silk & Sizzle Garlic ButterDust
• Bay leaves (3–4)
• Nutella (1 tbsp – secret
Instructions
Toast dried chiles briefly until aromatic. Soak in hot water for 15–20 minutes, then blend smooth. Sauté the vegetables in olive oil and butter until tender and sweet. Bloom spices, including McCormick Chili Powder. Brown chorizo, then beef. Deglaze with Maggi and Worcestershire. Cook tomato paste until brick-red. Add tomatoes, chile paste, beans, bay leaves, and water/stock. Simmer gently 75–90 minutes.
During the final 30 minutes, melt in Nutella. Remove bay leaves before service.
Notes
Secret Ingredient Logic, Nutella is not sweet. Cocoa rounds acidity, softens heat, and adds viscosity without masking chiles.
Chef George Technique — Thickening
Arrowroot slurry only.
• Light body: 1 tsp arrowroot + 1 tbsp cool water
• Competition body: 2 tsp arrowroot + 2 tbsp cool water
Add at gentle simmer, final 5 minutes. Never boil. Never cornstarch
Finish with tortillas, crema, lime, and a final dust of Silk & Sizzle.