Chili!

There are as many chili recipes as there are chili eaters and all of them are the best chili ever.  The following recipe is mine and is inspired by an Emeril Lagasse recipe for Turkey and Hot Sausage Chili and  some chili I had at the Tamarack Lodge at Heavenly Ski Area in Lake Tahoe called Tri-Tip Chili that was served in one of those fancy bread bowls.

The Recipe


1 Tb. vegetable oil
¾-1 pound of steak (I like sirloin tips as they're relatively inexpensive and tasty)
¾ pound hot Italian sausage (without casings)
1 pound of ground beef
1 Tb. Essence, recipe here
1½ cups chopped yellow onions
½ cup chopped green peppers
½ cup chopped, roasted and peeled Poblano chiles
2 Tb. minced garlic
2 Tb. chile powder
1½ ts. ground cumin
½ ts. salt
1 (12 oz.) beer of your choice + (one for the chili and one or more for the chef)
1 (28 oz.) can of crushed, diced, or chopped tomatoes with their juice
1 can (or roughly 2 cups) Pinto beans, rinsed and drained
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro (if you don't like cilantro you could use flat leaf parsley)
2 cups grated Monterrey Jack cheese

Instructions

Start by roasting chilies.


In a large pot, brown meats in batches after seasoning with the Essence.  When all meat is browned, return to pot and add onions, peppers and chilies.  Cook until veggies are soft.  Add garlic, chili powder, cumin and salt, cook for about one minute.  Add beer, tomatoes, and beans, stir.  Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer.  Do not cover.  Cook at a simmer for 45 minutes to an hour, stirring occasionally.  Add cilantro or parsley in the last five minutes of cooking.

Prep and cooking time is directly proportional to the number of beers consumed by the chef, roughly 1¾ hours.