Mean Mean Pat Chili

Ingredients:

• 1 – 1.5 lb ground beef (to make veggie chili, just leave this ingredient out)
• 4 cans beans (I like to use 2 cans of kidney and 2 cans of black beans)
• 2 cans tomato sauce
• 4 – 5 garlic cloves thinly sliced or minced
• 2 medium to large white onions
• 6 – 10 Roma tomatoes
• 6 – 10 Bell peppers (use any combination of colors you feel like)
• 3 – 5 jalapeño peppers
• optional peppers*
• Spices: chili powder, cloves, cummin, black pepper, cinammon

Directions:

1. In a large pot or dutch oven, brown the meat with some garlic, salt, and black pepper; drain
2. Add tomato sauce and beans (drain the juice from the beans)
3. Begin to heat the mixture on a medium-low setting.
4. Dice all vegetables and peppers; add to pot and mix thouroughly
5. Add spices to taste. Here's my suggestions:
   • 2 – 3 tablespoons of Chili powder
   • 1/4 – 1/2 cloves
   • 1/2 tablespoon cummin
   • 1/2 – 1 teaspoon black pepper
   • dash of cinammon
6. When chili begins to boil, turn down the heat; cover, simmer for 1 – 2 hours.

Congratulations. You have just made Mean Mean Pat Chili. Serve with cheese and your choice of bread, corn bread, crackers.

Notes: You can also use additional peppers. One of my favorites is to add in an habanero pepper.

Notes: Nowadays, I make my own Chili Powder according to Alton Brown's recipe, although I leave out the garlic powder since my chili has fresh garlic.