Chili is basically just a meat stew, so none of the amounts are all
that significant. Use a little more, a little less, however you like.
This recipe makes a lot, so either scale it down or expect to freeze a
bunch of it for later. This recipe is also necessarily approximate, in
so far as chili is one of those things I don’t really use a recipe for,
so it always comes out a little different each time. This, however, is
as close as I can remember to what I made for you and Konrad.
Ingredients:
* 2 pounds ground beef
* 1 pound ground pork (you can go all-beef if you like, but the pork
adds richness)
* 2 large sweet onions, diced. (any white or yellow onion should be
fine)
* 3 or four whole carrots, diced (optional, but adds some sweetness)
* 2 cans diced tomatoes (the ordinary 14 ounce size)
* 6 cans assorted beans (black beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, navy
beans, etc…)
* 2 tablespoons (30ml) brown sugar
* 1 tablespoon chili powder (or 2, if you like a stronger chili flavor)
* 1 tablespoon cocoa powder (Dutch-processed is best; it has a milder
flavor)
* 2 dried bay leaves
* 1/2 teaspoon (2.5ml) ground cumin
* salt and pepper, to taste
* cooking oil or butter
In a large pot:
Heat up some oil or butter over medium heat and sauté the onions until
they become soft and translucent. Add the meat and stir until the meat
is thoroughly browned, breaking up any clumps. Add the carrots, and the
canned tomatoes with their liquid. Drain the beans and add them too,
along with the spices. I suggest starting with 2 teaspoons (10ml) of
salt. Stir thoroughly, and reduce the heat to low. Simmer, stirring
occasionally for at least an hour though the longer you let it cook the
more the flavors come together. Taste occasionally, adjusting the
seasonings. You will likely end up adding more salt. It’s done when the
carrots have softened and you think it tastes good. Remove the bay
leaves before serving.
When serving, a bit of sour cream on top is nice. Or grated cheddar
cheese.