As part of its annual “Chilly at the Lodge” event, the Josey Scout Lodge Board of Directors hosted a “Chili Master Class,” featuring cooking lessons from Don and Karen Cullum.
The class, attended by five LEAP-affiliated individuals including our newest LEAP Ambassador (Jacob Wessels) and a total of about 45 local residents, was a deep dive into red chili style chili making.
Hosted at the Josey Scout Lodge, organizer Karla Christian…
… introduced Don and Karen Cullum–both champions on the chili circuit–and the instructors for today’s crash lesson.
While even amateur cooks might be able to manage a solid pot of chili, championship-level preparation requires attention to nuances.
Have you considered that the wind may affect the heat of your flame and, accordingly, considered buying a wind guard? At your last cookout, did you think of the humidity level when considering how much water to add?
These are some of the nuances described by Don Cullum as he went through the chili-making process.
We also learned, of course, of ingredients, the preparation, and he even offered the recipe he used (or a close approximation to it) when winning the ICS National Championship.
Upon completing the class, we all had a chance to sample Don’s small-batch chili.
And, pleasingly, while he was preparing his small-batch chili (which is what is used to compete because the cook has much more control over the variables), his wife, Karen, was preparing a large batch–large enough for the audience!
Thus, we ended our Saturday morning with a lunch-time meal of chili, courtesy of the Chilly at the Lodge event. You can join the fun on Saturday, January 31 from 11am-3pm, when chili-cooks, vendors, and musicians will come out for a day of food, wares, and entertainment. Visitors can tour the Josey Scout Lodge, stop by booths for all sorts of goods, and with the purchase of a $5 sampler kit, get six spoons to try different versions of Texas-made chili!
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