Durango Chili

Citation: From Southwest Cooking, Beekman House, 1992. ISBN 0-517-68757-7.

Introduction: This is the best chili in the universe.

Ingredients

3T oil
1 pound lean ground beef
1 pound lean boneless beef, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 medium onions, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup tomato paste
3-5 fresh or canned jalapeno (or serrano) peppers, stemmed, seeded and minced
2 bay leaves
5T chili powder
1t salt
1t ground cumin
1/2t ground black pepper
1 28-oz can tomatoes, undrained and chopped
1 bottle (12 oz) beer
1 can (10.5 oz) condensed beef broth, plus 1 can water
2 cans (4 oz each) diced green chillies, undrained
1 can (15 oz) pinto beans, drained
1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained

Directions

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a 5-quart kettle over medium-high heat. Crumble in ground beef; add cubed beef. Cook, stirring occasionally, until meat is lightly browned. Transfer meat and pan drippings to a medium bowl. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in kettle over medium heat. Add onions, bell pepper and garlic. Cook until vegetables are tender. Stir in tomato paste, jalapeno peppers, bay leaves, chili powder, salt, cumin and black pepper. Add tomatoes. Add meat, beer, beef broth, water, and green chillies. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, 2 hours or until meat is very tender and chili has thickened slightly. Stir in beans. Continue simmering, uncovered, 20 minutes, or longer if you want it thicker. Discard bay leaves.

Comments

I tried doubling this, and it wasn't nearly so good -- too much liquid. This happened multiple times until I gave up. Now I always make it in units of one batch, and it has never gone wrong.
We usually use 1/2 pound kielbasa and 1/2 pound boneless beef.