Submitted by Mark Barlow, Joplin, Mo.
• Hefeweizen beer, enough to cover the meat, or other full-flavored beer, light or dark
• 2 pounds (fairly lean) ground beef
• 1 pound spicy sausage
• Salt and Pepper – just a bit as beef and pork brown
• 1/4 C dried onions
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 1/2 C spicy Bloody Mary mix
• 1 (small) can tomato paste
• 3 cans Bush’s best medium chili beans (don’t drain)
• 2 cans black beans (don’t drain)
• 1 to 2 cans pinto beans, drained
• 2 – 3 cans red kidney beans, drained
• 2 cans butter beans, drained
• 2 cans great northern beans, drained
• Kosher salt – to taste, usually 1-2 tsp
• 2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp white pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic
• 2 packages Williams chili seasoning to taste, start with the first package then taste to adjust
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp cardamom
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• Cayenne pepper to taste
In a large stock pot with medium/low heat slowly cook meat in beer with salt and pepper until browned and beer is evaporated. Continuing to heat, add in the rest of the ingredients, then seasonings, stirring after each addition. Please note the “drain vs no drain” with various beans. Bring to a low boil, stirring fairly frequently; reduce heat to simmer and stir occasionally until the chili reaches desired thickness. Notes: You can speed things up considerably by simultaneously heating the beans and ingredients in the stock pot whilst browning things in a large skillet, then transferring the meat back into the stock pot and continuing to simmer. If things aren’t thickening up fast enough for you, you can always add a mixture of masa flour and water SLOWLY, a bit at a time, to thicken the chili a little faster.
