If you like this recipe, email me using the 'pm' button.

Here is my Chili recipe.
A few quick notes:
1. This makes a LOT of chili, either be prepared to eat chili for a week or have some containers ready to freeze it.
2. You will not make this in 30 minutes, this is a make a day or two before recipe.
3. Like a lot of chili recipes, it's 'season to taste'. I like my chili HOT, adjust accordingly.


The Chili Recipe
3 - lbs of extra lean cubed/cut stew meat
3 - 1.25 oz packages of Great Value (Wal Mart) Hot Chili Seasoning
2 - 10 oz cans of Rotel 'Chili Fixins' (diced green peppers and tomatoes)
2 - 14.5 oz cans of diced tomatoes
2 - 15 oz cans of tomato sauce
1 - 27 oz can of Bushs chili beans
1 - medium white onion. I like mine diced, but you can cut it anyway you want, just use a SHARP knife, so you don't crush the onion cells
1 - teaspoon each of paprika, salt, ground red pepper
? - Mesa flour or regular white flour

appx cost is $20, start to finish time, about 10 hrs

Get a large pot with a lid (important) (I think mine is an 8 quart, and there's about 2" left at the top)
Add everything except the meat and flour to the pot, warming and stirring as you go (just warming, so the spices will mix in, you aren't cooking it yet)

Let the mix cool and put it in the fridge.
Get your crock pot, add the meat and about 1/2 cup of water.
Put the pot on high for 30 minutes, then on low for about 8 hrs.
If you are in a hurry, high for several hours should do it.
I just set it before going to bed and it's done when I get up.

Test the meat with a fork, it should just fall apart, if it doesn't, leave it on high and check it occasionaly (say every 45 minutes).

When the meat is done, use a 'holey' spoon to scoop out the meat onto a large plate and start breaking it down into strings.
You can do this by just mashing it with a fork.
If it's doesn't fall apart with the fork, you didn't cook it long enough.
You're not looking for chunky chili (unless you like it that way).
Once the meat is done, get the pot out of the fridge and bring it to a boil, then add the meat.
You can either add all of the meat, or add a bit and stir until you think there is enough for your likeing.
The meat that is left over (if any) makes great BBQ sandwichs, and the broth would be good for a gravy or soup or whatever it is you do with beef broth.

Simmer on low for at least an hour, stiring occasionally. Don't let the bottom burn, if you do, DO NOT SCRAPE IT.
Many people when they burn the bottom, they scrape it off, all your doing is adding burned food to the unburned food and ruining the taste.

Don't add spice!
If you've been taste testing and don't think it's hot enough, please wait.
The chili WILL get hotter, the longer it simmers and the longer it is allowed to 'rest', the hotter it will get.
If you add spice now, you're going to end up with chili so hot you can't eat it.

Add the flour only if you need to thicken the chili, and then only add enough to do so.
More than likely, you won't need the flour. If you don't want the flour for sure, then leave the lid off while it simmers to let the steam escape.

Now, here's where it gets iffy...
You can either:
A. eat it now
B. let it cool and put it back in the fridge for tomorrow.

If you choose B, the chili WILL be better the next day, after the spices have been able to 'ferment' into the meat.


Bring on the cheese, frito scoops and sour cream!