Brown the ground beef with the onions and garlic together till the ground beef is no longer pink; drain (and rinse if you’re worried about fat).

Stir in the beans and tomatoes. Bring the chili to a boil, and turn the heat down to a simmer. Add 1 tablespoon chili powder and ½ tablespoon cumin. Let the chili simmer, stirring occasionally, till it is nearly the consistency you want. Add another tablespoon of chili powder and ½ tablespoon cumin. Stir the spices in and taste. Depending on your preferences, the spices you use and the salt content of your canned goods, you may need to add salt or pepper or increase the amount of chili powder or cumin. Given a choice, I will use almost all the bean and tomato liquid and simmer my chili for a few hours (till it’s nearly the consistency of canned chili). If I don’t have much time, I’ll use less liquid and simmer for less time, but it won’t taste as good. The longer this cooks, the better it tastes.

This chili tolerates variations well. I have used (and did for the chili in the photo) black beans (rinse them very well–trust me, use none of the liquid from the can), pinto beans, and a mix of just whatever we had in the pantry at the time. I’ve used Italian tomatoes with basil, tomatoes with green chilies, and all crushed tomatoes at different times. I’ve (again, at different times) added unsweetened cocoa powder, star anise (remove before serving), cayenne, ground chipotles, beer, and red wine. I usually don’t add any kind of hot peppers unless I’m going to be the only one eating it. I’d rather make my chili well-seasoned but mild, and let folks add Tabasco, salsa, or sliced jalapeños at the table.

Most of the time I used ground beef, but lately we have had a freezer full of ground venison (thanks to my hunter brother-in-law), so that has been my meat of choice for the past few batches. I’ve used ground turkey, diced chicken, and cheap steak that I cut up pretty small.

For a vegetarian version, I’ll cut three or four carrots into about a half-inch dice and brown them with the onions and garlic. The carrots do make for a sweeter chili, but give the mouth feel of meat.

I buy all my spices at “Your DeKalb Farmer’s Market” in Decatur, GA. They are always fresher than what I find at the grocery store and cost a whole lot less, too. At the in-laws, I have made this with grocery store spices, and I had to use more chili powder and cumin than usual. If you have a good source for high quality spices, pay a little extra if you must; they’re worth it. If you live in the metro-Atlanta area, go to YDFM.