* 1 pound bacon, diced
* 2 medium onions, chopped
* 6 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
* 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced
* 2 red chili pepper, seeded and diced
* 1 habanero pepper, seeded and diced
* 3 pounds beef chuck, cut in small cubes (about 1-inch cubes)
* 4-5 Louisiana spiced sausage links
* 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
* 1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes
* 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
* 8-10 tablespoons chili powder
* 2 tablespoons cumin seeds
* 1 tablespoon oregano
* 1 tablespoon thyme
* 2 tablespoons sugar
* 3 cups beef stock
* 3 cans (15 ounces each) pinto beans
* 1 can or SMART PAK(tm) carton of Hormel® Chili with Beans
* 2 tablespoons Masa (corn flower)
* 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
* Add to taste:
* Cayenne pepper
* Salt
* Ground black pepper
* For garnish:
* Chopped green onions
* Grated cheddar cheese
* Sour cream
* Fresh chopped cilantro
Chopping a pepper
Zoom Mike Urban / P-I
A chopped habanero pepper helps to make the chili a five-alarm dish.
In a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat, fry bacon until fat is rendered and bacon is crisp. Drain off all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat. Add diced onions, crushed garlic, and seeded and diced peppers and cook until soft, 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the chuck and sausage links in the reserved back fat as needed (or use vegetable oil). If the skillet is not large enough to hold all of the meat in one layer, brown in several batches, removing each batch to a plate or bowl as it is finished. Use 1 cup of the beef stock to deglaze the browning pan. When the onions and vegetables are soft, add the browned meat to the pan. Then add the crushed and diced tomatoes, tomato paste, seasonings, 1 cup of beef stock used to deglaze the meat browning pan, the remaining 2 cups stock, the pinto beans and the Hormel® Chili. Bring to a simmer. Add to 2 tablespoons of Masa flour. Reduce heat, cover and simmer over low heat about 1 hour or until meat is tender.
