Ingredients
2 pounds ground beef chuck
1 pound bulk steak (bone-in short ribs work well, stew meat if slow cooker)
1 (15 ounce) cans chili beans in mild sauce
1 (15 ounce) cans chili beans in spicy sauce
1 can light red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 (28 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with juice
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 green Chile or other hot peppers, seeded and chopped (I often use jalapeno)
1/2 pound bacon bits
4 cubes beef bouillon
1/2 cup beer or soda, dark beer is best
1/4 cup chili powder
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce (e.g. Tabasco™)
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon white sugar
Directions
Fry bacon in stock pot, remove but leave some grease for frying other meat.
Crumble the ground chuck and steak into the hot pan, and cook until evenly browned. Drain off excess grease.
Pour in the all the beans, diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Add the onion, green and red bell peppers, hot peppers, bacon bits, bouillon, and beer. Season with chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, oregano, cumin, hot pepper sauce, basil, salt, pepper, cayenne, paprika, and sugar. Stir to blend, then cover and simmer over low heat for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally. You can also move everything to a slow cooker and cook all day to make magic.
After 2 hours, taste, and adjust salt, pepper, and chili powder if necessary. The longer the chili simmers, the better it will taste and the steak will tenderize. Remove from heat and serve, or refrigerate, and serve the next day.
To serve, ladle into bowls, and top with sour cream, shredded Wisconsin cheese, saltines, or whatever you desire.