Drew’s World Famous Chili

Heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat. In a pie plate, combine flour, salt and pepper. Add cubed steak and toss to coat. Shake off excess flour.

Turn up heat to high and cook meat in batches to get a good sear. Cook until browned on all sides and remove from the pan onto a plate. Add remaining steak and brown, then remove to the plate. Don’t worry about all the delicious brown bits in the bottom of the pan. That’s flavor!

Reduce the heat to medium high. Add a little more oil if necessary and throw in the onions. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until translucent. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about one minute. Stir in the green, red and jalapeno peppers and cook for about 3 minutes.

Add chili powder, cumin and oregano. De-glaze the pan by pouring in the beer and beef stock. Be sure to stir the bottom of the pan to scrape up all the yummy brown bits. Return the meat to the pan. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for about an hour or so, until the meat is tender.

Add crushed tomatoes and cook for 20 minutes. Stir in the beans and simmer for 15 minutes. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. The chili may be kept on low until ready to serve.

Serve with toppings of choice, including cheddar cheese, green onions, red onions, sour cream, and sliced jalapeno peppers.

Drew’s tips:

He loves chili with heat, as in spicy. He has experimented with all sorts of pepper combinations much to the chagrin of our unsuspecting neighbors. To be fair, he always makes a large safe-to-eat pot, nice and mild. But in his hot pot, watch out. He has tried everything, from adding more jalapenos with all the seeds to adding a habanero. He also loves to add Tabasco.
Drew also tries different combinations of beans. What ever sounds good, and sometimes, whatever we have in the cupboard.