Weekend Chili

I used to make 10 gallon vats of  vegetarian and meat chili at a popular bar restaurant, LEO'S on Chestnut Street back in the early1980's. 

Here's the small  2 gallon version I made today. I don't measure. I add my herbs and spices to personal taste. Start small when spicing and taste as you go.

• approx 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3-4 big yellow onions-diced
• 3 pounds 85% lean ground beef
• chili powder
• ground cumin
• Chianti
  
• tomato paste
• chopped whole bulb garlic
  
• kosher salt
• black pepper
• cayenne pepper
• oregano (dried)
  
• basil (optional)
  
• 3-4 large cans of diced tomatoes
• 1 pound home cooked red kidney beans with cooking broth
  
• 1 pound home cooked chick peas with cooking broth
• chopped green peppers
• cocoa powder (optional)
• serve with freshly chopped cilantro (optional)
• 1 can of Rotel or chopped jalapeno.
  

• Add the add the onions to a large frying pan and stir over high heat. Then add olive oil. Saute until golden. Add chopped green peppers, add Chianti to deglaze the pan.  Transfer to large soup pot. Add the ground beef and bulb of chopped garlic to the frying pan. Break ground beef apart with a wooden spoon. Cook until the beef is no longer pink. Transfer meat to the big pot. Then Add the beans + broth, diced canned tomatoes to the big pot. Stir.  When hot add the chili powder, cumin, tomato paste, salt, pepper, and pinch of cayenne. Add bean broth or vegetable stock. Add Rotel. Simmer and stir. Enjoy. Be sure to cool down soup pot in an ice bucket or sink before refrigerating. Can freeze in quart containers. Date, label and allow head room.