CLARKSVILLE, Mo. — For Linda Blakey, there are three keys to making great chili.
“Fresh spices, lean, but marbled, meat, and patience,” she said.
Blakey ought to know. She and her husband, Bill, are overseeing the 29th Annual Show Me Missouri State Chili Cook-Off hosted by Raintree Arts Council.
The event is from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 10, at Riverfront Park in Clarksville. Prizes of $1,500 will be awarded and cooks will compete to move on to the world championship Sept. 29 to Oct. 1 in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Admission is $3 and samples are 50 cents each. There will also be vendors, music, raffles, cold beverages and other foods.
Categories are red, verde, homestyle and salsa. Each has its general guidelines, but homestyle is as close to “anything goes” among the four. Cooks have three hours to provide about a quart of competition product from each category entered. Volunteer judges award points based upon taste, spices and color.
Other sponsors are Jerry Manfredonia, Peoples Bank & Trust, Three C Ranch, Pike Rental Center, LaCrosse Lumber Co., Rob’s Auto Care, Bleigh Construction, Todd Hagemeier, Raymond and Suzanne Abel, Cherry’s Bar and Grill, A & W Communications, Gibson & Dehn, Spanglers HVAC, Humphrey’s Coffee & Eats.
This year’s event is “a big deal” because Clarksville is “one of the last chances” to compete before the world championships, Blakey said.
The sauce aficionado – and it is a sauce, not a soup or a stew – is quick to point out that zesty doesn’t necessarily mean blistering. And eagerness can lead to disappointment.
“Chili can get away from you if you don’t watch your fire,” she said. “Nothing spoils a pot of chili quicker than scorching it – or being too impatient to let the spices and meat cook.”
Just as in sports, competitors use every advantage they legitimately can.
“Most of the cooks keep a book of what they used in their pots every place they go,” Blakey said. “Lots of things can affect a pot. Altitude is one of the biggies. Remember, they cook all over the United States.”
Anyone can enter the competition, but an International Chili Society membership is required. More information is available by logging on to www.ics.com and clicking on the “I want to cook” tab. Blakey can answer questions at 573-754-0335.
One reason chili is so popular is because of its versatility.
“Beans are cheap, and usually for a family it is easy to prepare,” Blakey said. “It goes a long way and can make for entertainment the next day.”
Blakey likes a medium to hot chili, which “always goes good with a really cold beverage.”
While she used to utter a dismissive scoff when asked for her recipe, she’s less vigilant now. White pepper and garlic salt will do the trick.
And, because the day is coming when she and her husband plan to step back from their organizational duties, they’ll have more time for a pot of “low and slow” from their own kitchen.
“I don’t really have a secret,” Blakey said. “If you like something, do what you want to do.”