John's Really Good Chili

John's Really Good Chili...

The 'heat' of my chili is a surprise to most. It is HOT but not as you might expect. It is NOT a 'chemical' hot but a subtle, seducing, sly kind of hot. It takes me about three days to prepare because of the steps involved such as grinding selected dried chilies, soaking pinto beans, preparing the shredded pork and beef, working some thick bacon and grinding some masa, gathering and preparing the four secret ingredients and finally cooking, cooling and reheating prior to release for human consumption. Before I hear from samplers regarding the flavor and heat here is what typically happens....

Your first spoonful touches your tongue and the texture and flavors encourage you to roll the spoonful around your mouth. You will find yourself sucking on a morsel of soft, skinless bean thinking it is something new.
The roof of your mouth will feel cold as a speck of capsin finds its way under your tongue. Then you swallow thinking you have begun to read a very engrossing story and you want more.
Now without thinking about anything else you take in the second spoonful. You are wondering where the HEAT is. You are wondering why, although very tasty, warm and interesting you still do not feel the need to chew some bread or (if you are new to good chili) drink some cool fluid (bad mistake as I think you know). You turn to me as you swallow your second mouthful and just as you begin to form the words of friendly complaint you stop yourself.
A bead of sweat has formed just between your eyes. More beads follow, all above your eyes. Your forehead is perspiring. You feel warm all over. More 'pleasant' than 'uncomfortable'. A new experience. This is called an 'endorphin rush' hence the common name I give my offering but the romantic name I prefer is "buzzards breath" (a borrowed the name if you know your chili but it works fine here in New England).
Anyway, your mouth starts to tingle and the sensation of subtle spice and heat seems to pulse in tandem with your increasing heart rate. For some tasters the sequence can happen almost immediately and others may not get the sweat until the fourth spoon is down.
You can take a dirty copper penny and place it into my chili and in about 50 seconds or so pull it out and it will be bright and shiny.

That is my chili. I hope I have not frightened you about giving it a try. I think you will like it.