RL Reeves Jr

It’s National Chili Day And We’re Celebrating The Life of Texas Legend Wick Fowler

Texas chili legend Wick Fowler died a half-century ago but in the Lone Star state he’s still spoken of as though he’ll be at the house for supper in just a few hours.

There will never be another man like Wick.

“The Great Chili Confrontation” was born on the 21st of October, 1967 when a few hundred chili fanatics met on the proving grounds of Terlingua, Texas to settle who the greatest chili cook of the day was.

Wick Fowler strode into battle vs northern humorist H.Allen Smith.

The Wall Street Journal and Sports Illustrated were on hand to cover the affair.

The shootout ended in a draw but Fowler would finally taste victory in 1970. The greatest chili cook of a generation could finally wear the crown.

Just a year and a half later Wick Fowler passed away at age 63.

His legacy is enormous and you can walk into any grocery store in the US today and pick up a packet of his Wick Fowler’s 2-Alarm Chili Kit.

It will fully-power that big cook pot that lives on the back of your range.

The Enduring Legacy Of Texas Chili Legend Wick Fowler

9th Ward Daily Photo via rl reeves jr

A Duroc pork belly on the backyard smoker

Writing for The Spectator, Joanna Blythman looks at the modern state of charcuterie and examines the work of Guillaume Coudray who is on a bit of a mission to expose the use of nitrite and nitrate vs salt in the art of curing meats. I do not agree with some of the arguments posed but the conversation is an important one. The article.

Dalmatinska panceta and pečenica are classic rural examples of Croatian cured meats. They are now officially protected by the European Union. The public squares of Zagreb come alive on Saturday mornings when the charcutieres set up tables crowded with blades and meat to vend to the public. more

Tough news coming out of Pennsylvania. Waltman Meats aka Smithgall & Ging Meat Packers is closing up after a half-century of business. Don Waltman is 77 and reports that he is tuckered out.

Tommy’s Ham House in Greenville, South Carolina is also closing. Tommy Stevenson had a 36 year run selling big fluffy biscuits packed with salty, cured ham but he’s hanging up his apron. Lewis Barbecue of Charleston will be taking over the building and installing a Texas-style smoked meat house.

The French are attempting to ban nitrates from their charcuterie. It’s going to be an uphill slog. Retraining all the people in the industry on the new methods will take thousands of hours and cost millions of dollars. Here’s the report on the efforts more

9th Ward Daily Photo via rl reeves jr

This past weekend, J. Kenji López-Alt, writing for the New York Times, penned a piece titled: This Is How You Get the Best Scrambled Eggs

I’m sure it’s fine.

But, it’s a little too fussy for a busy cook who’s trying to get a hot breakfast on the table for his family.

If you love eggs and like a simple, quick method to bring them to table whilst receiving cheers from the folks you’re feeding give the official Scrumptious Chef version a shot.

I wrote this recipe a decade ago and it still holds true.

Here you are friends and neighbors:

A Guide to Making the Best Scrambled Eggs You Will Ever Put in Your Mouth