When it comes to fixing up the perfect pot of chili, there’s little consensus as to how to achieve the best results.  “No can products,” said Larry Segura, whose company, Segura Lawn Service, competed against 16 other en... more >When it comes to fixing up the perfect pot of chili, there’s little consensus as to how to achieve the best results. “No can products,” said Larry Segura, whose company, Segura Lawn Service, competed against 16 other entrants Saturday at the 10th annual Great Chili Challenge in City Park. “It needs to cook a while and the beans need to soak. I also use grade-A meat from Bi-Lo.” Mike Hester and Lindy Broussard, who cooked the grand champion pot of family-style chili for Centerpoint Energy, said the key is to avoid overdoing it. “You want to have a little bit of spice but not too much,” Hester said. Warren Gachassin, who cooked a spicy pot with his mother, Sandy, said it’s more about atmosphere and teamwork. Sandy, slightly reluctant to divulge her grandmother’s secret, added that she relies on fresh ingredients and cayenne pepper. On a day when a parking spot in City Park was hardly to be found with the library book sale and other events also being held, hundreds of people gathered around lines of tents to sample three different categories of chili family-style, hold on to your hat (the hot one, as the name implies) and heart healthy at the annual event sponsored by Highland Baptist Christian School. Organizer Heidi Delahoussaye said the number of participants was about average, though fewer than last year’s record of more than 30 booths. Families enjoyed live music in the park and children ran about in three different inflatable playgrounds. But it was all business at the judges’ tent where 13 brave souls took on the daunting task of determining the best pot of chili, a decision that would affect the egos and bragging rights of the participants for the next 12 months. Each judge sampled a 4-ounce serving of each chili a...