I have been sick this whole week, and due to the combination of having no voice, my dear friend and babysitter having the flu, Addie starting to show signs of a cold coming on, I am enjoying an unexpected afternoon off. As long as my gravel-y voice doesn’t scare anyone off, we are hosting our lifegroup here tonight, and chili is what’s for dinner. I love food that is familiar and homey but that lends itself to being stepped up with a gourmet touch. So when I make chili, there are no Fritos involved, as delicious as they are. 
The garnishes finish off the dish, and we’re ready to go.
I have been simmering a huge pot on the stove for the past 3 hours, and since the smell has completely filled our apartment and is so wonderful it’s all I can think about, I am going to post my recipe.
1 lb of beef strips (you could use ground beef, I just like a less uniform texture)
1 whole onion, finely diced
4 cloves of garlic, smashed
2 links hot Italian sausage, removed from casings
1 big can of crushed tomatoes
1 can of kidney beans
1/2 bottle of light ale
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
S&P to taste
Throw it all in, bring to a boil then immediately reduce heat to the lowest setting. Simmer for 4-5 hours. Garnish with chopped cilantro, diced tomatoes, and grated cheese.
October 6, 2011
jenvlnou
3 responses to “Chili”
Susan Kenworthy
October 6th, 2011 at 20:48
Do you brown the meat first?
jenvlnou
October 6th, 2011 at 20:53
Not since I switched to beef strips instead of ground beef. The strips seem to have less fat. I’d brown first and drain the grease if using ground beef.
Erica
October 7th, 2011 at 01:40
Sounds delicious Jenny! I love a good chili recipe so I’ll definitely be giving this a try. I have a recipe that Kev LOVES but it has SO many ingredients.