Ron Burt, a retired Los Angeles County deputy sheriff, had cooked red chili only six times before winning. He cooked from a compilation of his wife Susie Baumberger Burt's World Champion recipes and credited his left-handed stirring.
How they cook
Five pounds of tri-tip with pork tenderloin and hot sausage, fire-roasted green chiles, El Pato sauce and a blend of Chimayo, pasilla, New Mexico and California powders.