Julie’s Chili

Years and years ago when I was just a youngin’ in the kitchen my friend Julie had us over and made this chili.  We’ve been hooked ever since.  It originally came from this recipe, Julie altered it quite a bit and I altered it more .  So now it is only sorta that recipe.  Here’s how it goes.

Gather together:

• 2 pounds lean ground beef
• 1 (46 fluid ounce) can tomato juice
• 1 (29 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 2(15 ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 giant onion chopped
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup chili powder
• 3-5 cloves garlic minced or crushed

You’ll see in my photos for this recipe I omitted some of the ingredients.  For example… I completely forgot the oregano, salt, sugar, and even the ground cumin I normally put in.  Chili still tasted great… I just didnt feel like having those ingredients this time   The original recipe also calls for chopped green pepper.  Scott hates green pepper in chili so I get rid of it.  Julie hates chopped onion so her recipe calls for practically none of it.

So here we go.

First you need to cook yourself some hamburger.  I always love this part because I get to drag out my heavy and delicious cast iron skillet.  It makes the world go round (if your world is a giant ball of beef that is).  So cook up some beef.  If you have your onion and garlic chopped already throw them in.  I was chopping while cooking so I saved mine for later.

Doesnt that look yummy?

Now open some cans of beans.  I love pinto beans, I think they are yum.   So I put twice as many pinto beans in my chili as black beans.  Black beans are very friendly and Julie likes them better… but this isnt Julie’s Chili (just ignore the title of the post ).   Pour your beans into a large pot.  This is where you’ll be simmering your chili.

Mince or press some garlic

Once your beef is done cooking add it to your beans.  (make sure the burner is not yet on or you’ll be burning your beans as you’re reading this… that sound you hear??  It’s your smoke alarm.)

Now add your garlic to the bean/meat mixture.  (that sounds yummy… lets say it again… beans and meat, beans and meat, beans and MEAT!)

Now chop yourself an onion.

And add it to your mix as well.

Lookin good lookin good.  Next you’ll need to grab yourself that large can of tomato sauce.  Add it to the mix along with your giant jar of tomato juice.

Now you have a pot of yummy goodness and you just need to add your spices.  The great thing about chili is you can throw the whole spice rack into the pot and it will taste amazing.  The most important things though are the chili powder (I never use a 1/4 cup, but Julie doubles it… so go with your tastebuds and stir and taste and add and subtract as this is simmering) and of course you need Cayenne Pepper.

Once when I made this I could not for the life of me find the pepper, so I used a heavy dosing of “Franks Red Hot.”  Scott loved it.  Get creative, this isnt my chili, we’ve already established it isnt Julie’s Chili, its your chili.

When you have it all in the pot give it a good stir and set it on the stove at Medium-High.  Cover and bring to a boil of sorts.  Once its at a slow boil set the pot to Medium if you’re in a hurry or Low if you’ve got time and let it cook away.  If on Medium let it cook an hour, if on low let it cook until you’re ready to eat.  It can simmer for 2 hours or 4 or whatever.  It only gets better the longer it sits there.  I always double the recipe so I can freeze half of it for another day.  Scott takes individual sized portions with him for lunch.

There you are!  Have some shredded cheese and oyster crackers ready and you’re set to go!