2 tablespoons sunflower oil 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 kg ground beef, preferably 20 percent fat Salt and pepper 1 large yellow onion, coarsely chopped 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped or grated 1 tablespoon ground cumin 1 tablespoon store-bought or chili powder, plus more if needed 1 (250ml) jar of roasted tomato sauce 1 (500ml) can tomato sauce  1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder 1 teaspoon coffee 1 (500ml) jar kidney beans, with their liquid 1/2 veggie stock cube 2 tablespoon piri piri sauce 2 tablespoon honey 1 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar, plus more if needed Grated sharp Cheddar, sour cream, hot sauce, sliced scallions, chopped white onion, cilantro leaves, crushed tortilla or corn chips, for serving (optional)

Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high. Working in batches if necessary to avoid crowding the pot, use your hands to break the beef into small chunks (about 2 inches each) and add a single layer to the pot. Season with salt and pepper, then cook, flipping once, until browned on two sides, 4 to 6 minutes. (Meat won’t be cooked through.) Transfer to a bowl, leaving the fat in the pot.  Reduce heat to medium, add the butter until melted, and then add the onion and season with salt, pepper, chili, and veggie stock. Cook until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic, and cumin, and stir until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the roasted tomato sauce, plus the beef and any juices in the bowl. Use a spoon or potato masher to break up the beef into small pieces. Stir in the tomato sauce, cocoa powder, coffee, and piri piri sauce. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook, stirring frequently to avoid scorching, until the beef is tender and the sauce is flavorful, 25 to 30 minutes.  Add the honey, and beans, including their liquid, and cook, uncovered, stirring often, until the liquid is slightly thickened and the beans are warm, 10 to 15 minutes. Let sit for 5 minutes, then stir in the apple cider vinegar. Taste and add salt until chili is rich and loudly spiced. Eat with desired toppings.

Eat with sourdough bread is my recommendation.

Every time someone says unprecedented, add a pinch of cayenne.

Eat it with a cinnamon roll. No idea if it’s really a local Midwestern thing, it was claimed as a local thing where I grew up. All I know is chili and cinnamon roll works.

Deglaze with your favorite beer

Get some canned chilis in adobo; that sauce adds a nice smoky flavor.

Also if you want to thicken it up, crumble some tortilla chips into it.

I wonder if it’s possible to make something that resembles chilli when you’re allergic to capsaisin and peppercorn. No issues with regular no heat bell peppers though

Found this on Reddit years ago, and it’s been my go to since.

Ingredients:

2 lb 80/20 ground chuck

1 lb 90/10 ground sirloin

1 lb smoked sausage

½ lb thick cut bacon (optional)

1 Tbsp butter (optional)

1 large yellow onion, finely chopped

2 jalapeno peppers, diced (w/seeds)

4 serrano peppers, diced (w/seeds if you want it hot)

2 red bell pepper, diced (remove center and seeds)

6 cloves of garlic, minced

3 Ancho chilies

1 Pasilla chile

1 Costeña chile

1 guajillo chile

1 New Mexico chile

Small can of chipotles in adobo sauce

Small can of sun dried tomatoes

29 oz can crushed tomatoes

2 Tbsp cumin

2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 Tbsp of apple cider vinegar

½ Tbsp red pepper

~12 oz Young’s chocolate stout beer

Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Seed and stem the dried chilies (anchos, pasilla, costena, guajillo, and NM). Heat them in enough water (or chicken stock) to cover the chilies and let them soak for 15 minutes.
2. If including bacon, slice the bacon into squares, and fry in a large pot. When finished, remove the bacon leaving the rendered fat.
3. Over medium high heat, (melt butter if not using bacon) add onion (let onions caramelize for a bit), jalapenos, serranos, and red bells peppers (they should sizzle when you add them) to the bacon fat (or butter) and cook for about 5 minutes, until the onions start to turn translucent. Add the garlic about halfway through this step.
4. Add the meat and sausage and cook until fully browned.
5. At this point the chilies should be soft. Remove them from the water (discard water, it will be bitter), and place them in a blender along with the chipotles in adobo sauce and sun dried tomatoes (tomatoes added toward the end).
6. Maybe add some beer to help move everything around.
7. Puree until nice and smooth and then add to chili pot along with crushed tomatoes, spices and everything else. Stir well. Cook at a low simmer for 2-4 hours.

Both ingredients are valid, but i prefer mine with a zest of not letting that which i cannot control burden me, over a handful of IDGAF.

For your consideration (please don’t.)

I don’t use salt but rather soy sauce and/or fish sauce which is salt + umami. Smoked paprika also adds a nice smokiness if you’re not using any kind of smoked chilis.

Dark thick beer can also work in place of cocoa, in my experience.

Smoked paprika. That is all.

Use sirloin steak cut up small instead of hamburger.

Cinnamon stick 10 mins before you serve. Lime juice to garnish.

YT and my sub feed. If anything politics comes up, I’ll skip that.