WINLOCK — Ron Crawford's chili holds quite the reputation among friends and family members.
His niece will eat no other. His friend, Tim Wall, won $20 betting on the dish's superiority, and Crawford cooks gallons at a time to distribute to the chili's devotees.
"The guy makes an excellent bowl of chili," Wall said. "I've eaten a lot of chili in my day and I think Ron Crawford wins, bar none."
What's his secret?
"Just the years of making it," said Crawford, who has been bringing the chili to poker nights for about 20 years. "It's kind of been perfected."
The chili packs in several different kinds of meat, beans and spices. Crawford cooks and samples the chili all day, adding flavor accordingly.
"He's not shy with the hamburger, he's not shy with his tomatoes," Wall said. "The ticket to making good chili is the right spices."
A Texas chili cook-off on TV inspired Crawford about 20 years ago, and he's since made the recipe his own.
Crawford gathers with six long-time-friends monthly in Winlock to play nickel, dime and quarter poker games.
"It's probably the cheapest game in the area," Crawford said. "It's not the money; it's just something that's been steady."
Crawford's chili, his mother's cornbread and deviled eggs are the other trusty pieces of the poker tradition, along with a few simple rules:
"Bring your own beer, show up, sit down and play cards," Crawford said.
Farm roots
Chili cooking days begin at 6 a.m. with the slicing of steak, pork loin and bacon. The kitchen sounds like a rainstorm as Crawford pan-fries pork, steak, hamburger and bacon in butter.
"I'm a butter fanatic," said Crawford, who grew up working on his family farm.
The kitchen soon fills with the smell of steak and pork loin simmering in chicken broth. Crawford cooks the meat all day, until it becomes so tender it almost dissolves. He cooks the rest of the chili simultaneously, and adds the pork and steak later.
Crawford first began cooking out of force at 19. He worked at the railroad and was elected to cook for his gang of 15 men.
"When they appointed me cook, I didn't know anything about it," Crawford said. He called his mother in a panic. She brought down steaks and potatoes.
Later, cooking for his now grown children, Jennifer and Chad, as a single father perfected his cooking skills. But his real inspiration was his mother, Margaret Crawford.
She made meals to match the stiff workload her husband, six children and hired hands put into their Winlock farm.
"We had our own beef, our own pork and our own chicken," Margaret said in a steady drawl that reveals her North Carolina roots.
Margaret whipped up biscuits, eggs, gravy and bacon for about 12 people at a moment's notice.
"It always amazed me," Crawford said. "She would always come in and before we knew it, she would have a seven-to-10-course meal on the table."
Farm workers were known to wrestle over who got the last biscuit.
Margaret Crawford recently compiled many family recipes in a book called, "Let's Cook Southern," which has an entry for Crawford's "Poker Chili." Everyone's reaction to Margaret's home cooked meals are what inspired Crawford to perfect his own cooking.
"It was her," Crawford said. "It was just watching everyone sitting at the table and enjoying what they were eating."
"Poker Chili"
-Ron Crawford
1
pound bacon, cut into
1x1-inch pieces
2
pounds ground beef
20
ounce Sirloin steak cut into
bite size pieces
16-ounce Pork loin (no fat) cut
into bite size pieces
2
15-ounce cans of diced
tomatoes
2
15-ounce cans of tomato
sauce
2
8-ounce cans of mushrooms
2
onions, diced
1
red bell pepper diced
3
16-ounce cans of pinto
beans
1
16 ounce can of red kidney
beans
1
12-ounce can of beer (your
choice)
1
8-ounce can of diced chilis
(jalapenos)
1
tablespoon garlic powder
1
tablespoon chili powder
1
tablespoon Cayenne pepper
1
tablespoon Cumin
1
tablespoon Brown sugar
4
tablespoons Worcestershire
Sauce
2
tablespoons Tabasco
1
tablespoon pepper
2
tablespoon salt
2
14-ounce cans of chicken
broth
In a skillet, brown and sear all meats, add salt and spices to taste, drain and set aside. Put steak and pork loin in a slow cooker, add chicken stock and cook on medium. In a large chili pot, stainless or cast iron, add tomatoes and tomato sauce along with beans, ground beef, bacon and jalapenos, cook on low heat. Stir in ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, Tabasco, and other spices. In a skillet, saute diced onions, green pepper and mushrooms in butter and olive oil, you can add more cayenne or chili spices, if you like it hot, when sauteed add to chili. When steak and pork loin are tender, drain and add to chili along with your favorite beer.
Use only a beer you would drink. Crawford starts this chili early in the day and cooks it on low heat for five or six hours. This allows for tasting along the way. You can add more beans or spices or whatever your heart desires.
"My money-hungry cohorts of poker, for 20 years, enjoy this chili the most with a good pan of cornbread and a cold beer brewed by Larry," Crawford said.
Cornbread
-Margaret Crawford
3
tablespoons vegetable oil or
shortening
2
cups self-rising white
cornmeal
1
cup Bisquick (or self-rising
flour)
2
tablespoons sugar
1 3/4
cups of milk
1
egg beaten
Heat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Heat vegetable oil or shortening in a 10 to 12-inch cast iron skillet. Tilt and rotate skillet to coat bottom evenly. Combine cornmeal, Bisquick and sugar. Add milk and egg blending well Add melted shortening or oil. Pour into hot skillet. Bake at 424 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 to 25 minutes or until l wooden pick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Put plate over skillet and turn out onto plate. Best served hot with butter. Can also be eaten cold mixed in a glass, with milk or buttermilk.
Julia Nicholls is a feature writer for The Chronicle. She may be reached at 807-8245, or by e-mail at jnicholls@chronline.com.
