NEW GLASGOW – New Glasgow Fire Department chief Doug Dort had won the fireman’s challenge three years running at the annual chili cook-off.
He won’t give away the secret to his success. “It actually comes from a friend of mine who’s on the Boston fire department and he made me swear that I wouldn’t give the secret up,” he said as visitors at the farmer’s market sampled the chili receipes.
His fellow competitors wanted to take him down on Saturday at the New Glasgow Farmer’s Market. “I’m just here to see if the young guys can win,” Dort joked.
Which is what happened, after the voting public elected Troy Baker’s chili the best.
Baker did reveal his secret: bacon.
“Beer-bacon. It’s an infused bacon with beer in it,” he says.
He chose to sauté the vegetables in bacon grease “and I started gradually putting everything into the slow cooker. It takes three days. I started this Thursday.”
“This year, you know what? It’s time for us young guys to step in. (Dort) will hand the torch over and we’ll take over.”
Dawson Murphy, a Grade 12 student at North Nova Education Centre, was the only student who showed up at the chili cook-off, so he won by default.
“My mom (Stacey Murphy) played a big role. Our secret is a lot of red pepper to give it that spice.”
“I have fun cooking sometimes, so yeah, I liked doing it.”
Stacey Murphy’s grandmother gave the recipe to her.
“My grandmother Annie Hughes – her great-grandmother gave her the recipe, and on the recipe, it says March 31, 1913. So, I’ve been making it my whole life.”
