Recipe -- Kung Pow! Chili

Inquiring minds want to know if I won the chili face-off -- shouldn't you have asked before asking for the recipe?!

Actually, I have no idea who won -- the fact that I don't know suggests to me that I didn't! If I had had to pick a winner, I would have picked the black bean chili -- but I bet the Judge's Texas Chili won.

But here's the recipe for my made-up chili dish, anyway. To add to the cultural confusion, I'll say, "You asked for it, you got it, Toyota!"

Keep in mind that I was making TONS for a chili face-off. And keep in mind that most of the spices are approximations, because at the end I was kind of tossing things in to taste. Fair warning, any Chinese person reading this will laugh and laugh and laugh . . . .

6 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup dark soy sauce
3/4 cup sesame oil
1/4 cup honey
2 cups Chinese rice wine (sake will do if you can't find Chinese rice wine)
1/2 cup olive oil
3 tbs chili paste
3 to 4 heads of garlic - chopped & crushed
½ cup (or more) fresh ginger, shredded
4-6 medium to large yellow or brown onions - chopped in big pieces
5 to 6 large bell peppers (any/all colors) – chopped in big pieces
6 to 8 large stalks celery – chopped in large chunks
6 or 8 red thai chili peppers (chopped very small, seeds and all)
1 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 cup fresh oregano leaves, chopped
1/2 cup fresh chopped thyme
2 bottles Kirin beer (yes, I know it's Japanese!)
1/2 cup light soy sauce
3 oz. Mexene Chili Powder
8-10 small dried red chili peppers, crushed, seeds and all
6 tsp white pepper
2-4 tbs Chinese 5-spice powder
2 15 oz cans tomato sauce
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
3 6 oz cans tomato paste
2 large cans crushed or chunk pineapple (drain & reserve juice)
1 cup unsalted peanuts
6-8 green onions/spring onions/scallions, just the green part, cut on diagonal

Cut chicken in 1-inch squares. Marinate for 30 minutes in soy sauce, ¼ c. sesame oil, honey & 1 c. rice wine.

While chicken marinates, put olive oil, 2 tbs. chili paste, garlic, ginger, onions, bell peppers, and celery in large sauce pan and sauté for about 15 minutes. Add chili peppers and fresh herbs. Saute for about 10 minutes. Add 1 bottle beer. Simmer.

In a large wok or skillet, heat the rest of the sesame oil and 1 tbs. chili paste. Add chicken and marinade. Stir-fry chicken. Slowly add remaining cup of rice wine. Stir until chicken is cooked about 80% through.

Add chicken (and any remaining liquid) to the large pot of simmering veggies. Add tomato products – tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and tomato paste. Add pineapple. Add powdered/dried spices – chili powder, crush dried chili peppers, white pepper, and Chinese 5-spice (add 5-spice a little at a time, and taste as you go!). If no one you are serving has peanut allergies, add peanuts at this stage. Set out for guests to add instead of cooking if peanut allergies.

If additional liquid is needed, add reserved pineapple juice and/or water. If you feel like adding more beer or rice wine, that’s OK, too!

Cooking time -- about 2.5 hours from the time you add the veggies to the big pot.

Serve over rice or eat alone. Sprinkle with sliced green onions before serving.