Written Task, Option 1

The key to triumph in a cook off is perseverance, and a willingness to simply die. Rodrigo Banes and the Montreal Patriotes, after a great deal of back and forth, eventually settled on a good old fashioned chili cook off. Rodrigo Banes is going to lean on decades of experience to pull off the hottest, most satisfying chili and take home to Spice Master Crown for this offseason.

The key to a good chili, like cooking anything, comes down to quality ingredients. As the base, Roddy starts by smoking and slow-braising a pork shoulder into pulled pork. Using a blend of onion, garlic, mustard, black pepper, brown sugar, and other spices, the meat will be the flavour and structural base for the dish. Next, he gets some hot italian sausage from a local butcher, grills it, then splits the casings and adds them to a large pot. Once the sausage is browned, he adds white and yellow onions. Next, he adds a blend of diced fresh peppers: jalapenos for heat and aciditiy, anaheims for sweetness and body, one habanero for kick, and a trio of red thai bird chilis for a well-rounded spice profile. Once the onions and peppers are soft, he adds the pulled pork, sausage meat, brown beans, black beans, white beans, corn, tomato paste, and a healthy (yet shared!) serving of Negre Modelo beer. Once the chili has cooked for several hours, giving him time to make his cornbread, he will use a mixture of brown sugar, maple syrup, ketchup, and baking soda to balance the acidity and add sweetness to round out the dish.

Serve hot, optionally on rice.