Chili from Reddit

subheading: Also this makes an absolutely absurd amount of food - I like making a giant batch and freezing it because chili holds up so well, but feel free to halve these proportions. I also tend to spice my chili aggressively because I like using garnishes like sour cream/crema and cheese to mellow it out again, so scale back the spices to your taste as well.:

Onion (2 to 3)

Red bell pepper (2)

Garlic (1 bulb)

Cumin (4 TBSP)

Chili powder (3 TBSP)

Oregano (3 TBSP)

Unsweetened cocoa powder (2 TBSP)

Ground meatloaf mix - half pork, half beef (1 package from my grocery store is ~1.5 lbs)

Package of stew meat

1 can of black beans

1 can of pinto beans

2 cans of red kidney beans

1 small can of tomato paste

1 small can of chipotle chiles in adobo

1 to 2 cans of Rotel

2 cans of diced tomatoes

1 bottle of Heinz chili sauce (this shit is nasty on its own, but totally irreplaceable in this recipe)

2 to 3 bottles of shitty American beer, I use Budweiser

3 to 4 cups of beef stock (translates to 1 to 2 cans if you don't have homemade on hand)

Apple cider vinegar (¼ cup)

Cut stew meat pieces into quarters (or smaller), trim off any fatty/gross bits

Brown ground meat in sauté pan. Use slotted spoon to set aside once cooked through.

Brown all sides of stew meat, using leftover rendered fat from ground meat. Use slotted spoon to set aside.

Drain and rinse all beans. Set aside 1 can of kidney beans.

Mince garlic, and chop pepper and onions

If using homemade stock, heat to a boil and then simmer (if not fresh-made). If using canned stock, bring to a simmer.

In a food processor, combine the tomato paste, chipotle chiles, and one can of kidney beans (drained and rinsed), along with all the spices. Turn the processor on, and slowly pour about ½ cup of beef stock into mixture, until the texture is a thick paste. If you want a less spicy chili, use just the liquid from the canned chipotle chiles, or add just one or two chiles to the food processor mix, instead of the whole can. Anything you don't use won't be wasted, it will keep very well in the freezer.

EDIT: If you prefer a 'looser', more liquid chili, then feel free to omit the beans from the food processor mix. I like to add them there as a thickening agent, since I prefer a chili that has a more solid texture. Also, if you're a Texan purist and want to adapt this recipe to being bean-free, you can sub the beans in the paste for cornmeal, though I'm not entirely certain what proportions you'd need - you're on your own there.

In large pot or Dutch oven, sauté onions and peppers in vegetable oil (or bacon fat, if you have your life together and keep some in the fridge) over medium heat until the onions are translucent. Add garlic and cook until fragrant (this takes literally less than a minute), and then add tomato paste/kidney bean mixture. Stir to combine and allow to cook, ‘toasting’ the paste for at least a few minutes. I find that the longer I allow my paste to cook, the more complex the flavor that develops through the blooming of the spices and the caramelization of the sugars in the tomato paste.

Add cans of tomatoes and Rotel to paste, along with Heinz chili sauce. Again, mix well and allow to cook for a minute or so to combine flavors. Then add beans and meat to pot. Stir well.

Add remaining beef stock and beer to the pot. Lower heat and allow chili to simmer. After approximately an hour, add apple cider vinegar to chili and allow to cook for another hour. Alternately, if you are using a Dutch oven or some other sort of heavy, lidded pot (cast iron is perfect for this), you can put this in the oven with the lid slightly ajar and roast at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 2 to 3 hours. I prefer to do this when making a smaller batch (I don't have an oven-friendly pot small enough to fit in my oven when I make the full batch).

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