Red Chili

The secret to Red Chili

Ingredients:
1 pound hamburger
1 pound hot sausage
2 large onions
2 large bell peppers
2 cans tomatoes    (use only one or no cans of tomatoes if you like)
1 can black beans  (use another can of beans if you like)
2 cans red pinto beans
2 cans tomato sauce
chili powder
cumin
various hot peppers
crushed or minced garlic
oregano (optional)

1. Brown the meat - stirring it and breaking it apart in the process.
2. After the meat is fairly well cooked (little pink is fine), strain off the excess oil. Don't press the meat, though, as you want to keep a little residual fat for flavor.
3. Add the meat back to the pan, add 1 tablespoon of chili powder, and half cup water - put on medium to finish cooking.  Lid off - you want the water to boil away.  Mix well while boiling the water off.  When done, just set aside.
4. Dice the onions and bell peppers.
5. In separate pan, saute with olive oil or butter about 1 or 2 tablespoons of garlic (crushed or minced).
6. After about 2 minutes add the onions and bells, cook down about another 5 or ten minutes (till soft), adding about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of black pepper.
7. Return the large pot with the meat to the fire, pour the cooked vegetables into it and mix well.
8. Open all cans and pour them into the pan.  (If you want, pour off the excess water from the beans before adding it in.)
9. Mix all the ingredients thoroughly.
10. Add about 4 to 5 tables spoons of chili powder (I use about 6 or 8 myself) and about 1 tablespoon of cumin (or two if you prefer).
11. Let simmer for a long time (30 minutes at least, but 90 minutes is much better), stirring often to prevent scorching.
12. Add peppers gradually over the course of the first 30 minutes of simmering.  Here's just a suggestion: 4 oz can of minced green chilis and 4 0z of the sliced jalepenos.

1.  Iced tea is the perfect accompaniment to this dish.
2.  I like to serve it over noodles and with garlic bread or oyster crackers.
3.  You can eat it without the noodles, of course.
4.  It's even better the second day, since the spices have permeated by then.
5.  I think it's important to add the peppers gradually - so you don't over spice it for your friends or kids.  If you're like me you like it really hot and it's easy to just toss in a coupla scotch bonnets and with those mild green chilis.  That's fine for us, but I like to make it so some of my buddies with softer stomachs can enjoy it too.