# My chili always finishes bottom of the barrel. :(



## worm304 (Dec 16, 2019)

So my large group of friends always has an after holidays chili cook off.  My chili is never good and can't seem to get it right.  Last year I even used brisket point.
There are millions of chili recipes but I was curious to see if anyone had a recipe they swear by.  I do have left over brisket and ribs I was thinking of throwing in this year.   Thanks for any help!!


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## texomakid (Dec 16, 2019)

So what recipe are you using? I've never been in a chili cook off but I've eaten a lot of chili and I like what I cook (Although the pure blood Texan's try to say only a "bowl of Red is the real Texas chili") I have to disagree. Bowl of Red is only 1 of those million chili recipes out there. So what have you been cooking?


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## Hawging It (Dec 16, 2019)

I don't have a Green Egg but a few years ago a friend bought one and it had a little cook book with it. There was a recipe for Smokey Chili on a Green Egg, It was the best chili I ever ate, You don't have to own a GE to cook it. You may find the recipe on the internet. Good luck on this years chili.
HAWG


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## worm304 (Dec 16, 2019)

texomakid said:


> So what recipe are you using? I've never been in a chili cook off but I've eaten a lot of chili and I like what I cook (Although the pure blood Texan's try to say only a "bowl of Red is the real Texas chili") I have to disagree. Bowl of Red is only 1 of those million chili recipes out there. So what have you been cooking?



It's been a mixed bag.   I usually involve red wine.  I did try one I found off the big green egg forum last year that had won contests but found it waaaay to bold.  Some of the ingredients were hard to find so had to substitute for others.  I recall adding the chili powder as the recipe called for and thinking it was waaaayyyyy too much chili powder.  I think normal people look for standard chili at cook offs and going too different never works.  I also don't like beans so I don't add them.   I refuse to cater to the crowd and want something that has a smokey flavor.  IDK.  I probably over think it.


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## DanMcG (Dec 16, 2019)

worm304 said:


> . I refuse to cater to the crowd



That might be your problem right there.....You're objective is to please the "crowd"


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## chilerelleno (Dec 16, 2019)

Try this recipe, 





						Chile's Chipotle Chile
					

Participating in a Chile Cook Off today. I'm using a variation of my 'Chile's Chipotle Chile' which I've done very well in past cook-offs. Over the decades it has placed and/or won various categories.  It is constructed as a very meaty chile. But it easily adapts itself to suit many tastes, so...




					www.smokingmeatforums.com
				




The amount of pureed Chipotle and sugar/chocolate is easily modified, add tomato puree for volume.

Competition is all about pleasing the judges and maybe the crowd.


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## bthurston (Dec 16, 2019)

I beleive its one o those "what are people use to". We use to always have one at my old work and it was blind judged by everyone who entered. I found out real quick there are alot of folks with crap palettes. We had one fella who won twice using canned chili and dumping it into a crockpot. I quit playing with them after that.


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## Sowsage (Dec 16, 2019)

What kind of recipes are coming out on top.? Or what "style" chilli do these folks seem to enjoy? I would start there and then add your own twist to it.


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## worm304 (Dec 16, 2019)

DanMcG said:


> That might be your problem right there.....You're objective is to please the "crowd"


 I know, I know.  I tell myself this every year.  I am too much of a smoke fanatic to do some lame ass ground meat and beans chili.  I guess I just want to taste my own chili and be blown away more than I care about what the "unrefined pallets" think of it.  Ha!


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## worm304 (Dec 16, 2019)

chilerelleno said:


> Try this recipe,
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks!! I like what I see.  I will probably sub in the sous vide reheat brisket chunk.


Sowsage said:


> What kind of recipes are coming out on top.? Or what "style" chilli do these folks seem to enjoy? I would start there and then add your own twist to it.



Last year my buddy won and told me he accidentally burned some of his veggies because his cast iron skillet was too hot.  Maybe that char was the key.   I don't think traditional wins every year and chili is one of those things that really subjective and someone can win it with little effort.  But I can't back down and have to put max effort in.  It's food for pete's sake!  That't how I do it!


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## DanMcG (Dec 16, 2019)

maybe you could consider umami, Like dried shiitake mushrooms,  parmigiano reggiano cheese or a fish sauce?


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## JCAP (Dec 16, 2019)

worm304 said:


> It's been a mixed bag.   I usually involve red wine.  I did try one I found off the big green egg forum last year that had won contests but found it waaaay to bold.  Some of the ingredients were hard to find so had to substitute for others.  I recall adding the chili powder as the recipe called for and thinking it was waaaayyyyy too much chili powder.  I think normal people look for standard chili at cook offs and going too different never works.  I also don't like beans so I don't add them.   I refuse to cater to the crowd and want something that has a smokey flavor.  IDK.  I probably over think it.



I think you can cater to a crowd, which is what you want to do here, right (?), and still have a smokey chili. I'm the opposite with the chili powder- I always think traditional recipes don't use _enough spice/s. _

When you say your chili is never good, do you mean that no one else thinks it's good or you don't think it's good?


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## RiversideSm0ker (Dec 16, 2019)

I love a good chili that is made with just ground beef. For me I am not satisfied until I believe that it would be great on hot dogs. I like it to be thick and really have a rich flavor to the sauce. I haven’t made any from scratch in years. I always used ground stewing meat. I ran it through the kitchen aide using the larger plate. Seemed to be just the right size. You could try grinding your brisket that size. One other thing that really helped was corn masa in the sauce. It has a richer flavor than just adding something like cornstarch. You just add it a bit at a time until the whole thing tightens up. Spices are totally subjective. I like mine just a bit spicy. Too much heat and the little nuances are buried. Good luck this year. 

G


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## zwiller (Dec 16, 2019)

Texas gets all the notoriety but there’s some seriously good chili here in Ohio.  Here we have Wendy's, Skyline, and Tony Packos.  I doubt they would place in a cook off but are killer.  Wendy’s is a good home style chili.  We do Skyline over spaghetti, tons of shredded cheese, and onion.  Packos can be done solo, but is usually on top of a smoked sausage with cheese and onion on a bun.  Packos is somewhat famous from the TV show “MASH”.     

Here chili cookoffs are mostly a scoville competition. If I was going to be competitive, I would start with a Texas cookbook.  Mine has several chili recipes and a lot of helpful info. 

Maybe go another direction entirely, https://www.copymethat.com/r/yuNu6ny/aaron-franklin-bbq-pinto-beans/


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## Sowsage (Dec 16, 2019)

zwiller said:


> there’s some seriously good chili here in Ohio.


Agreed! And honestly a wendys copy cat recipe would make a great base recipe to start with.


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## thirdeye (Dec 16, 2019)

Will this be a "peoples choice" kind of competition, or will there be some kind of rating system like a 1-5 ?  Location plays a role as well as different parts of the US have regional differences.  At larger contests (meaning a lot of sampling) cooks basically try not to offend the tasters by making something way too spicy, or have a funny texture,  be too watery, or use some non-typical ingredient like chopped celery, or kernels of corn.  Also, if it's allowed have some condiments on the side for example Frito corn chips, grated cheese, flour tortillas cut into wedges, etc. 

Here is good starting point recipe that you can fine-tune to your liking:
This is a modified version of Margaret Nadeau's Sahara Chili which gave her wins in 2005 and 2009 at the CASI Terilingua International Chili Championship.  Modified in that her RECIPE calls for specific brands of chile powders which are hard to source unless you order online.  One of the chili competitors tricks is to use more than one spice "dumps" during the cooking.  This keeps the flavors sharp until the very end.  Step 3 is the 1st dump, and Step 4 is the second dump, they are separated by 1 hour. 

*Sahara Chili*
*STEP 1:*
2 lbs. Course ground beef (chili grind)
1 TBS Cooking oil
1 TBS Granulated onion powder

Add ingredients together and lightly brown meat

*STEP 2:*
Add:
1 can (8oz) Tomato Sauce
1can Beef Broth
Cook for 30 minutes

*STEP 3:*
Add:
1 TBS Light Chili Powder
2 TBS Dark Chili Powder
1 tsp Garlic powder
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 TBS Cumin
1/2 tsp Cayenne
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
1 tsp Chicken Granules or 1 cube
1 tsp Beef Granules or 1 cube

Cook for 1 hour

*Step 4:*
Add:
1 TBS Light Chili Powder
1 TBS Dark Chili Powder
1 tsp Paprika
1/2 TBS Cumin
2 dashes of Hot Sauce
Cayenne pepper to taste (should not be more than 1/8 tsp.)
1 pack   Sazon' Goya

 Leave covered and simmer for 30 minutes.  During this time if liquid is needed you may use more beef broth also salt and heat can be adjusted to your liking.


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## worm304 (Dec 16, 2019)

JCAP said:


> I think you can cater to a crowd, which is what you want to do here, right (?), and still have a smokey chili. I'm the opposite with the chili powder- I always think traditional recipes don't use _enough spice/s. _
> 
> When you say your chili is never good, do you mean that no one else thinks it's good or you don't think it's good?


2 years ago I liked mine.  Finished bottom 3.  Last year I didn't like mine and it finished last.  I tried so damn hard too.  Thanks for all the advice here, gents!


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## worm304 (Dec 16, 2019)

thirdeye said:


> Will this be a "peoples choice" kind of competition, or will there be some kind of rating system like a 1-5 ?  Location plays a role as well as different parts of the US have regional differences.  At larger contests (meaning a lot of sampling) cooks basically try not to offend the tasters by making something way too spicy, or have a funny texture,  be too watery, or use some non-typical ingredient like chopped celery, or kernels of corn.  Also, if it's allowed have some condiments on the side for example Frito corn chips, grated cheese, flour tortillas cut into wedges, etc.
> 
> Here is good starting point recipe that you can fine-tune to your liking:
> This is a modified version of Margaret Nadeau's Sahara Chili which gave her wins in 2005 and 2009 at the CASI Terilingua International Chili Championship.  Modified in that her RECIPE calls for specific brands of chile powders which are hard to source unless you order online.  One of the chili competitors tricks is to use more than one spice "dumps" during the cooking.  This keeps the flavors sharp until the very end.  Step 3 is the 1st dump, and Step 4 is the second dump, they are separated by 1 hour.
> ...


Thanks! This looks great.  I am willing to order some of Mild Bill's chili powders for sure!


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## thirdeye (Dec 16, 2019)

worm304 said:


> Thanks! This looks great.  I am willing to order some of Mild Bill's chili powders for sure!



Check out Pendery's spices, they have a great selection of chile powders, some are blends and some are specific to one pepper.


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## udaman (Dec 16, 2019)

here my chili recipe, just don't forget to take out the bay leaves,and cook it until u get it to the thickness u like, u can add more wine or vinegar to taste.


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## noboundaries (Dec 16, 2019)

I learned to make chili using chili powder. There was a big difference between grocery store powders because there are a lot of different chilies that get dried and ground into powder.

I eventually turned to dried, whole chilies, either making my own powder, or reconstituting the chilies and turning them into a chili paste I added to the pot.

I don't compete, I just eat what I like.

Meat - 3 lbs either smoked cubed brisket point, or smoked/cubed tri tip, or 85/15 ground chuck.
1 lb ground sausage.
6 to 8 reconstituted pasilla/Ancho chilies, blended. Use some of the soak water to thin.
Chopped onions, one or two.
Minced garlic, fresh, not the crap from a jar. Whole head.
Carrots, 3 to 5, grated or chopped fine (instead of sugar).
2 1/2 Tbs cumin
2 Tbs cacao powder
1 Tbs kosher salt
1 Tbs smoked paprika
1 tsp black pepper
2 cups beef stock
2 15 oz cans black beans, puree'd
30 oz can smoked, diced tomatoes
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup dark brown sugar if not using carrots.

Saute onions, carrots, and garlic in about a couple Tbs of oil.
Add the meat until red is gone, if necessary.
Add the rest of the ingredients. 
Simmer for 3-4 hours, covered.


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## texomakid (Dec 16, 2019)

Wow Ray 

 noboundaries
 that looks like an awesome recipe. I'll be borrowing that real soon! Thanks man


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## noboundaries (Dec 16, 2019)

Happy to share. If you like heat, add some cayenne.


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## worm304 (Dec 17, 2019)

(Award Winning) Smoked Brisket Chili Served at Salado After Party 2014
					

Here is the recipe that some of you have requested.  We served this at the Salado After Party.




					eggheadforum.com
				




Found it!   This is the one I used last year.  Doesn't a half cup plus 2 TBS of chili powder seem like waayyyyy to much for this recipe? IDK  maybe I halved it and forgot to halve that.  I can't remember what I did wrong but it was not good.


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## Slow42 (Dec 17, 2019)

worm304 said:


> It's been a mixed bag.   I usually involve red wine.  I did try one I found off the big green egg forum last year that had won contests but found it waaaay to bold.  Some of the ingredients were hard to find so had to substitute for others.  I recall adding the chili powder as the recipe called for and thinking it was waaaayyyyy too much chili powder.  I think normal people look for standard chili at cook offs and going too different never works.  I also don't like beans so I don't add them.   I refuse to cater to the crowd and want something that has a smokey flavor.  IDK.  I probably over think it.


I’ve made and eaten lots of chili in my life as have many or my friends. I’ve been to numerous chili festivals and competitions. The worst chili in the world, in my opinion, are smoked chili.  The smoker group never know when enough is enough.


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## noboundaries (Dec 17, 2019)

I read that Award Winning Chili recipe. Not my cup of...uh...chili. BUT, like others have said above, there are as many chili recipes as there are chili cooks. Even though I posted a recipe above, I only make the same chili twice when my wife raves about it. I looked in my old cookbook software on another computer, I've got probably 10-15 chili recipes in there I've taken the time to write down. My wife likes the one above, soooooo, it gets made when she's in the mood for chili. 

I just took a tri tip out of the freezer this morning. I'll probably smoke-grill it tomorrow and make a batch of chili. Easy to do when select grade tri tip runs $2.98/lb out here in NorCal.


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## siege (Dec 17, 2019)

I brown coarse ground beef with diced red onion,  season  with  smoked paprika, cumin, and chipolte . Throw in  a cube of bittersweet baking chocolate, a teaspoon of dark brown sugar,  a can of Ro-Tel tomatoes with chilis and a can of  pureed tomatoes.. Simmer to the consistency you want, and  thicken with a few well crushed  taco chips or Fritos. I serve with Saltines and slices  of cotija cheese.


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## worm304 (Dec 18, 2019)

noboundaries said:


> I learned to make chili using chili powder. There was a big difference between grocery store powders because there are a lot of different chilies that get dried and ground into powder.
> 
> I eventually turned to dried, whole chilies, either making my own powder, or reconstituting the chilies and turning them into a chili paste I added to the pot.
> 
> ...



This looks great as well.  Thanks!!  I am not a big bean guy.  Can I ask how the black bean puree does for ya?

Edit:  Also can you explain the reconstituted ancho chili deal?  Not sure what that means.  Thanks!!


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## noboundaries (Dec 18, 2019)

Black bean puree does several things. One, black beans create less "music" due to less of the song-causing enzyme compared to other beans. It also acts as a thickener. I'm not a bean-in-chili guy, but do like a thicker chili. Corn starch is a no-go for me. Finally, the puree'd black beans add another flavor profile element that softens any sharp, overpowering flavors so everything dances together nicely.

Reconstituted chilies? I buy packet's of dried chilies and use boiling water to reconstitute (rehydrate) them.  When I buy fresh green chilies, I roast them on the Weber, remove the skins, and make a green chili, which is a different recipe.


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## worm304 (Dec 18, 2019)

Thanks, noboundaries!!


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## forktender (Dec 20, 2019)

worm304 said:


> (Award Winning) Smoked Brisket Chili Served at Salado After Party 2014
> 
> 
> Here is the recipe that some of you have requested.  We served this at the Salado After Party.
> ...


Not at all...........chili powder isn't hot, it's the cayenne  and sriracha that adds the heat.
Any chili that has beans is a surefire way to knock you self out of the running, chili doesn't have beans or corn or tomatoes in it. Stick to the basics when you're entering a "chili" contest and you will do much better.
Leave the smoked anything out of the pot use fresh coarse ground beef and fresh ground spices.


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## oscar (Dec 20, 2019)

Whoa....the smoker crowd gets carried away?  Blasphemy!, but I agree.  I do chili in the crock pot and give it a whiff on the smoker, but to take it start to finish on the smoker is too much.  And btw, the further you get from Texas, the more beans you're allowed.  Beans judge just fine up north.


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## noboundaries (Dec 20, 2019)

Chili comps are like BBQ comps, WAAAAY different than what I like.


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## jcam222 (Dec 21, 2019)

chilerelleno said:


> Try this recipe,
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Man that sounds delcious. I’m going to try this yet this winter. To fit it in our eating style I’ll sub the brown sugar for Swerve brown. I may just go beanless but if not will sub in black soy bean. This flavor profile sounds amazing.


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## jcam222 (Dec 21, 2019)

Slow42 said:


> I’ve made and eaten lots of chili in my life as have many or my friends. I’ve been to numerous chili festivals and competitions. The worst chili in the world, in my opinion, are smoked chili.  The smoker group never know when enough is enough.


That all depends on who’s smoking, wood choice , length of smoke etc. I’ve had some amazing chili from and some bad. Same is true of any other cooking style.  IMO.


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## noboundaries (Feb 2, 2020)

We always make chill on Super Bowl Sunday. My wife and I are running about 50% due to each of us being a tad under the weather. I'm in the process of making my recipe posted above, but left out the tomatoes because I just wasn't focused. Once it got up to temp, I took a taste and DANG it was good. Gonna leave the tomatoes in the can. Now comes the 3-4 hour simmer. 

Oh, and there were no brisket points at the store. The tri tips looked kind of sad, but the stew meat looked like sliced brisket point with some chuck roast tossed in. I used that, ground chuck, and a pound of Italian sausage filler cause that's what I had on hand. I also used the chili soak water with Better Than Bouillon Beef Base instead of beef broth. This recipe has gone through three previous updates. Today makes a 4th!


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## Fueling Around (Feb 2, 2020)

I rarely make chili.  Wife has her mindset on what makes a good chili and she doesn't agree with me.
I'll eat her chili, but she won't eat my chili.  Yep, I lost that "competition".



noboundaries said:


> I learned to make chili using chili powder. There was a big difference between grocery store powders because there are a lot of different chilies that get dried and ground into powder.
> ...


I just pick a store chili powder and work from there depending on the blend.
I always add Paprika, Ancho, and Chapotle to make taco meat.  Wife loves it.



oscar said:


> ...
> And btw, the further you get from Texas, the more beans you're allowed.  Beans judge just fine up north.


Funny.  I have a chili recipe from a Texas born that has beans.  According to her, many families stretched the dollar by adding beans to their chili.


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## daveomak (Feb 3, 2020)

I've tried making chili and it ALWAYS sucked...   One day, I cleaned out the pantry and added all of these cans together and it came out AWESOME for me...   Note, don't add tomato paste..  it's horrible...  I think the French Onion soup was a great addition...  





__





						CHILI from the pantry...
					

Well, I found 2 -  1.5# packages of "CHILI grind" beef in the freezer...   So...  I made 1 batch and this is the second...  the first was really good.....    I knew I had stuff in the pantry so a digging I went...    Below is what I pulled out of the pantry for this batch...    First batch did...




					www.smokingmeatforums.com
				




...


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## negolien (Feb 3, 2020)

No red beans? Blasphemy..lol


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## Kevin DeShazo (Feb 4, 2020)

I use an Emeril chili recipe which uses stew meat, I do mod to my taste and liking but tame the heat just a little. Ill add some pureed chipotles while browning the meat and dried ancho chilis to it chili seasoning. Before cooking, I let the meat and seasoning come together in the fridge for a couple days.

Ive tried smoking the stew meat and onions before making the chili and seemed the onions become too sweet for the final product.

  The chili cookoff we have here at work, I have placed from 1st to 3rd.  The stew meat throws folks off, so this year I used ground beef. I did smoke the chili for about 2 hrs after it has simmered for a few hours with mesquite and bourbon barrel char, gave it a nice smokey, cooked over an open fire taste. I also mix red and black beans in the chili.


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## gary s (Feb 4, 2020)

You had some real good advice posted. I take my Chili cooking as serious as do my Smoking
I cook for my TASTE and Family and Friends.  Competitions are a whole other animal.  You have to try to please the Judges. Some like it Hot and Hotter, some Milder who knows. That's why even after  over Fifty  years of Smoking and Chili making I still ask Family and friends "How was it" "Does it need anything" "Or to much of something"  Even Family and friends their pallets are different. My Wife Likes Chili but MILD, I like HOT, about half and half with family and friends.
Hope this helps. A lot of times when I cook I'll make a mild pot and a spicier pot And it Freezes really well.
I'm a basic kind of guy, don't want a bunch of stuff in my Chili or BBQ for that matter that just don't belong    Keep it Simple  Look at some of the Past winners at Terlingua  and their recipe's

Gary


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