Garlic Festival Chili

This gumbo-inspired chili is a favorite at the Gilroy Garlic Festival outside of San Francisco. The large amount of garlic is blanched and simmered, so don't shy away from this wonderful recipe.

Recipe Ingredients:

5 pounds pork loin, 2-inches thick, trimmed of fat
3 1/2 tablespoons Garli Garni seasoning* - divided use
3 onions, sliced 1-inch thick
1/3 cup vegetable oil - divided use
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup paprika
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 jalapeño chile, seeded, stemmed and chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons filé powder
5 cups chicken stock
2 cups puréed tomatoes
2 poblano chiles, seeded, stemmed and chopped
50 cloves medium garlic, peeled

Cooking Directions:

1. Prepare coals for grilling. Season pork with 2 tablespoons Garli Garni seasoning. Brush pork and onion with some of the vegetable oil. Grill pork until brown on outside and rare on inside; grill onions until charred. Allow both to cool. Dice pork and onions and set aside.
2. Heat remaining vegetable oil in a deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat until very hot. Reduce heat and whisk in flour until roux is deep brown and smells nutty, 8 to 10 minutes. Allow to cool.
3. Combine paprika, chili powder, jalapeño and filé powder in a bowl. Bring stock, tomatoes, and poblanos to a simmer in a saucepan. Over low heat, whisk paprika mixture into roux and cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Whisk in hot stock 1 cup at a time.
4. Add onions and bring to a boil. Add remaining 1½ tablespoons of Garli Garni, reduce heat, and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
5. Meanwhile, blanch garlic in boiling water until tender, 7 to 10 minutes; drain.
6. Add garlic to chili and simmer until thickened, about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
7. Add pork and simmer until cooked through, about 15 minutes. Serve with rice.

Makes 6 servings.

*Garli Garni seasoning is a product of the Gilroy Garlic Festival. You can find it in specialty stores or online. If you don't have any, substitute any basic garlic-herb seasoning blend