Jenny's Chili

Jenny’s chili is proof that sometimes less is more. Seven ingredients, one pot, and the patience to let it simmer as long as you can stand to wait. No cumin, no garlic, no peppers. Just ground beef, kidney beans in chili gravy, canned tomatoes, brown sugar, chili powder, onion, and salt. That’s the whole recipe.

The brown sugar is what sets this apart from generic chili recipes. It mellows the acidity of the canned tomatoes and rounds out the chili powder into something sweeter and more complex. It’s not a sweet chili, just a balanced one.

Using kidney beans packed in chili gravy instead of plain canned beans is a shortcut that adds seasoning and body to the broth without any extra work. That gravy thickens the chili as it simmers.

The directions say it plainly: the longer you simmer, the better it gets. An hour is fine. Two hours is better. Three hours and the flavors are fully married, the meat is tender, and the liquid has reduced into a thick, clingy sauce.

Chef Tips

• Cook the beef until truly crumbly, not just browned. Large chunks of ground beef don’t break down during simmering.
• Pour off the excess fat after browning. Leaving it in makes the chili greasy.
• Start with a tablespoon of chili powder and add more to taste as it simmers. You can always add heat but can’t take it away.
• This chili is even better the next day. Cool, refrigerate, and reheat for deeper flavor.

Variations

• Spicy version: Add diced jalapeños and a teaspoon of cayenne for serious heat.
• Bean-heavy: Add a can of pinto or black beans for more variety and substance.