Andy Beals' Chili

Directions

Sauté the meat and onions. You may do it in the same pan that you are going to put the chili in. The meat should be brown on the outside, but you don’t have to cook it much at this time. Drain the fat from the beef.

Put everything in a big pot over low heat (a slow cooker is handy) and stir together. Wait half an hour to an hour and check the flavor of the soupy base. Adjust as you see fit.

Perhaps add more beer, hot peppers, or spices.

Repeat as necessary. Wait as long as you can, stirring occasionally. You may eat it when the beans and beef are soft.

Serve with bread, fresh-baked biscuits or cornbread.

This is best if it has cooked at least overnight. Generally it’s ready for consumption after about three hours.

If you can’t turn your stove down to a very low heat, you’re bound to burn the bottom of the chili a little, but as long as you don’t scrape it off, it will taste okay. Slow-cookers are great in this regard!

At the three hour mark, the chili is somewhat soupy. If you want it to thicken up, turn up the heat a bit and let it boil off the excess water.

While doing this, stir every few minutes or you may burn the bottom!

NOTES:

• Andy’s own recipe for meat/bean chili -- This is the descendant of the chili that I’ve been making since 1974.

• I change the proportions of ingredients (double the beef, drop the beans, add LOTS more cumin) all the time; this recipe is just a general guideline.

The amount of garlic given in the recipe is very conservative. Garbanzo beans (chick peas) are nice, but they take a lot longer to cook.

Making it with lamb or Italian sausage instead of beef is also interesting.

Cherry peppers instead of jalapeno peppers are very nice also.

• Do not use wimpy American beer! I have found that Moosehead adds a good flavor, and I bet that Anchor Steam will too.

: Difficulty: easy. : Time: 15 minutes preparation, 3 hours cooking. : Precision: no need to measure.