Stovetop Chili with Tomatoes & Green Peppers

This is a no-bean chili in the Texas tradition, where the focus stays squarely on meat, spices, and tomato. A blend of ground veal, beef, and pork gives it more depth than a single-meat chili, with each contributing its own quality: veal for tenderness, beef for body, pork for richness.

The spice trio of chili powder, cumin, and oregano hits all the standard notes, but the unusual addition is a tablespoon of red wine vinegar stirred in with the tomatoes. That single tablespoon of acid is what cuts through the fat and brightens the entire pot, keeping the chili from tasting heavy or one-note.

Green bell pepper softens with the onions at the start, lending a slightly grassy note that balances the rich meat. Crushing the meat with the back of a heavy spoon (as the directions specify) keeps the texture rough rather than uniformly fine, which gives the finished chili a more rustic mouthfeel.

One hour of simmering reduces the tomato liquid into a thick, glossy sauce that coats every bite. Stir occasionally so nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan.

Pro Tips

• Brown the meat hard, in batches if needed. A proper sear builds the flavor base. Steamed gray meat makes thin, watery chili.
• Bloom the chili powder and cumin in the hot oil for 30 seconds before adding tomatoes. The brief toast unlocks deeper, more complex flavor than dumping cold spice into wet ingredients.
• Skim fat off the surface near the end if the chili looks greasy. Three meats means three fat sources.
• Make this a day ahead. Like most stews, the flavors marry overnight and taste considerably better the next day.

Variations

• Use only ground beef chuck for a leaner, more traditional Texas-style version.
• Add a 12-ounce bottle of dark beer with the tomatoes for malty depth and slight bitterness.
• Serve over cornbread or rice if you want a starch component without resorting to beans.