Chili

Total time: 70 minutes
   This is my recipe.  I know it is not authentic 'Texas Chili'.  If any of you 'Chili' aficionados want to argue about what's wrong with it go ahead.  I use tomato juice to 'thin' it.  This is purely to taste.  I use 1 - 2 cups; mon mari would use none, my sister would use 5 - 6.  You can drink or freeze any unused juice in 1 cup portions.

 Ingredients:

• 16oz ground beef (480gr mince)  coarsely ground for chili is nice if you can get it
• 2 medium onions
• 6 cloves garlic
• 2 medium green bell peppers or 1 large
• 30oz (900gr)whole tomatoes
• 30oz (900gr) red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 15oz (450gr) pinto or navy beans in tomato sauce (pork & beans, pork removed)
• 4oz (120gr) green chiles
• 1 tbs oregano
• 1 tbs basil
• 4 bay leaves
• 2 tbs chili powder, more or less to taste
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tsp beef base, paste or 1 stock cube or 1/2 cup beef stock
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1 - 4 cups tomato juice, depending on your preference
• jalapeños, hot peppers, hot sauce, Tabasco, to taste

 Instructions:

• Chop onion and pepper. 
• Mince garlic.
• Drain green chilies and chop if whole.  
• Heat olive oil in 5qt (4 litre) Dutch oven or stock pot .
• Add 1 tbs chili powder and sauté for 1 minute.
• Add onion and pepper, sauté for 5 minutes.
• Add garlic and sauté 5 minutes longer.
• Add beef and brown, breaking it up as it cooks.  
• Drain tomatoes, reserving juices. Roughly chop tomatoes.  
• Drain and rinse kidney beans.  
• Open pinto beans and remove pork if any. 
• When beef is brown add tomatoes, juices, and beans.  Stir well. 
• Add green chiles, herbs, beef paste, 1 tbs chili powder and Worcestershire.  
• Heat to boiling.  Add 1 or more cups of tomato juice. 
• Cover, reduce heat and let simmer at least 20 minutes. 
• Taste.  Add more chili powder, jalapeños, hot sauce, if you choose. 
• Simmer 10 minutes more - or longer. 
• Taste again... Adjust again if you like.
• Remove bay leaves and serve.  You can garnish with shredded cheese, crème fraiche, or both, on top...

Note: You can keep adding chili powder, chiles, jalapeños, hot sauce, whatever, until you get the taste you want.  Just remember to simmer for 10 minutes, to blend the flavors, after each adjustment.