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Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cook Time: 180 Minutes |
Ready In: 190 Minutes Servings: 12 |
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Just spicy enough, it's warm, inviting smells while simmering draw your friends in to stay for dinner. That's how I learned to make it... once I smelled it, I had to know. Ingredients:
1 large red onion, finely chopped |
1 small jalapeno pepper, chopped (or more) |
1 small green bell pepper, chopped |
4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped |
1 1/2 lbs extra lean ground beef |
2 (24 ounce) cans tomato sauce (48 oz. total) |
2 (15 ounce) cans pinto beans (light-color, 30 oz. total) |
1 (15 ounce) can red kidney beans |
1 teaspoon cumin (or more) |
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder (or more) |
1/2 teaspoon oregano |
1/2 teaspoon paprika (or more) |
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (to taste) |
1/8 teaspoon salt (to taste) |
1/8 teaspoon pepper (to taste) |
2 tablespoons olive oil (to coat the bottom of the pans) |
2 tablespoons olive oil (to coat the bottom of the pans) |
40 ounces water (to add to the chili via the cans from the tomato sauce) |
12 cups cooked white rice (really just make however much you wantto serve with the chili) |
Directions:
1. In a large skillet, heat some olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan, add some of the garlic, some of the onion, some of chili powder, oregano, paprika, a few pinches of salt and pepper, and crushed red pepper.
2. When the onions are brown, add the beef and break it up. Brown entirely.
3. *While browning*, prepare a large stockpot the same way you prepared the skillet, coating the bottom with oil and using the rest of the spices, onion and garlic (whatever was listed as *some* before, add the rest here). Sauté the remaining onion, garlic, and seasonings.
4. When the items in the stockpot are golden brown, add the beef that you browned fully from the other pan into the stockpot. Add tomato sauce and then fill each can 3/4 with water and add that too (make sure your pot can hold all this plus what is still to come - if not, you might require another pot, or to scale this recipe down a little). Stir it all together, then add the peppers.
5. (If you taste for seasoning at this point, remember the tomatoes are still raw and can taste different from when cooked.)
6. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and loosely cover. Simmer one hour, watching so it does not splatter and stir occasionally.
7. After an hour, add the beans with the liquid from the cans.
8. Cook one to two more hours, stirring occasionally.
9. Serve with white rice, if desired. (If you make great rice, go for it. If not, visit your local Chinese restaurant and pick some up. I like to put the rice in the bottom of a bowl and put the chili right on top).
10. Serves three small battalions.
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