Heather's Aztec Chili, In Convenient Recipe Form!

As presented at Raised By Wolves here and here, only this time transcribed into convenient recipe form. I find myself scouring the posts looking for amounts the two times I've made this so far; the recipe format is good for a reason.

• 3 lbs of beans, split between red chili beans and pink (pinto?) beans. Derangement the first: about double this amount of canned beans. Heather thinks this defiles the chili, but if you don't have time to dedicate to the multiple passes of soaking and boiling, this is to me an acceptable option. (I did this for the first batch and it turned out fine. Sue me.) Derangement the second: I have also used Mexican goat's eye beans (ojo de cabra if you inhabit the Mexican markets), and it worked very nicely.
• 3 medium onions
• 5 garlic cloves
• 3-4 tablespoons of peanut oil, or lard (for frying onions & meat -- double this if you substitute bison below)
• 3 lbs beef, bison, or venison roast (I used bison and it's great, but needs more oil because it's so lean)
• 3 lbs ground beef, bison, or venison
• Vegetarian version: for the beef roast and ground beef above, substitute 2 cups textured vegetarian protein
• 2 quarts beef stock or an equivalent amount of Le Goût 095 beef base
• 2 large (14 oz?) cans of tomatoes. I might be convinced to try fresh ones at some point.
• 2 small (6 oz) cans of tomato paste
• 2 oz baker's chocolate (2 squares)
• Optional: 1/2 bottle of red wine or 1-2 bottles of beer
• Chili powder to taste. I like a lot, which means about 8 tbsps.
• Black pepper to taste.
• Cayenne pepper to taste.
• White pepper to taste (I had none and didn't miss it).
• Red pepper flakes to taste.
• Cumin to taste.
• Salt to taste. I like the Himalayan pink stuff or coarse-grained kosher salt, but sea salt works just as well.
• 2 large stock pots (it makes that much and yes you will need them)

What follows is an edited version of her engaging and amusing instructions, which necessarily diverges from them because I have already blasphemed with the canned beans.

If you are using the dried beans:

You rinse the dust off of 'em, pick out any little rocks. (How do the rocks get into the beans? Seriously, how? I never have this problem when I dry beans at home.) Then put them in a great big stockpot and soak overnight in cold water.

Next day, pour out the soaking water, rinse the beans well, and refill the pot. Bring the pot to a boil and then simmer for maybe half an hour. Pour out the boiling water, rinse well again, add fresh water, and bring the beans back to a boil, then simmer.

When the beans are just done -- just about the texture that you want in your finished chili -- discard the second pot of boil water and rinse one last time.

Seriously -- two changes of water, both discarded, you won't regret it, because these beans will taste good and will not give you gas. They will not get any softer after you add the acid ingredients (tomatoes, tomato paste, wine).

When using canned beans, I just dumped 'em in and started warming them up in the stock pots, of which you will need two.

While the beans are cooking, get out your biggest frying pan. Chop up three or four medium storage onions, chop or press about four or five big garlic cloves, and fry them up until the onions are wilted and a little bit brown.

I usually use peanut oil for frying, but this time I used lard. Yeah, lard. Because I serve the chili at parties and to guests a lot, and a fair number of people have peanut allergies. Nobody has a lard allergy. If you are making the veggie version, duh, don't use lard. Also, skip the next bit.

While the onions are frying, cut up about three pounds of beef or venison. This time I used chuck roast. Venison is better, but not everyone will eat it, so this batch is all beef. Cube the meat about the size of a die -- much smaller than for stew. (This is easier if the meat is partly frozen.)

Note that I have used bison with this recipe but it is so dry it requires a lot more oil to fry -- maybe twice as much as in the original recipe.

Put the onions aside. Brown the cubed meat. Put the browned, cubed meat aside with the onions. Brown about three pounds of ground beef or venison.

Why, you ask, do you not brown the onions and all the meat together? Good question. Because I've got some big-ass frying pans, but none big enough to cook all that stuff in one go.

Throw the meat and onions in with the the rinsed, cooked beans. At this point I divide everything in half and start a second stock pot, because leftovers are everything with this chili, and there's no point making a small batch. Two big stockpots full make enough for a couple of dinners plus about five quarts of frozen or canned chili for later. If you don't have two big stockpots, then just use half as much of everything.

Add a quart or two of beef stock, or vegetable stock/miso if making the vegetarian version. Dial the heat back to low, and then add the tomatoes and tomato paste. Allow to simmer, then add chocolate. Simmer for 30 minutes to an hour.

Add chili powder, white/black/cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, and cumin.

For the vegetarian version, now add the textured vegetarian protein.

Salt to taste.