The Big Chili

WARNING! This is not a recipe for Texans. I have to say that right away. If you were born in Texas, please save your fingers the work of writing me to complain and go make your grandpa's chili--I know it's delicious, and you know you'll eat it without complaint. In the mean time, let the rest of the union enjoy the bean and tomato chilis of our fathers. (Yeah, I've had one too many lunchroom arguments about what makes a "true" chili. . .)



This comes from allrecipes.com, which, if you don't know, is a pantheon of recipes from home cooks across the country. The title is Boilermaker Tailgate Chili, which is enough to make the Hawkeye in me puke. I'm looking for a better name right now, but I haven't found a better chili recipe. Here it is:


The Meat
2 pounds ground beef chuck
1 pound bulk Italian sausage

The Rest
**This IS obscenely long, I agree, but if you cook often you'll probably have most of these things. If not, you'll have a good start on a spice rack**

3 (15 ounce) cans chili beans, drained
1 (15 ounce) can chili beans in spicy sauce
2 (28 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with juice
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 green chile peppers, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon bacon bits
4 cubes beef bouillon
1/2 cup beer
1/4 cup chili powder
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 (10.5 ounce) bag corn chips
1 (8 ounce) package shredded Cheddar cheese

Putting it together
Brown the meats, drain, and put them in a really, really big crockpot. Then add all the rest, except for the chips and cheese.

Stir well and be careful! If you are clumsy, get someone else to do this for you or be prepared to clean up--the crockpot will be on the verge of overflowing.



Let the pot cool on the counter top for about 20 minutes, then cover and place in the fridge overnight.

When you wake up the next morning, start cooking the chili on low. When 6 p.m. rolls around, serve in warm bowls with chips and cheese. To avoid using up every container in your home to store the leftovers, invite over 10 people and enjoy!




-jaf

p.s. This goes really well with darker beers, especially Furthermore's 3 Feet Deep if you can find it.