Douglas Johnson wrote:
I'm from Texas. Chili is a religion.

"Colbyt" wrote:

4. Use dark red kidney beans and black beans. Mostly smash the kidneys.
Equal parts by pre-cooked weight of kidney beans and meat.

Beans in chili is heresy. "Chili" is short for chili con carne (chili with
meat), not chili con frijoles (chili with beans).

5. Buy a quality grade of ground chuck. No more than 15% fat.

Better yet, buy a chuck roast and cut it into 1" cubes. Braise the meat in
batches in the bottom of your chili pot. You want a good sear on the meat, but
it doesn't have to be cooked through. Do it batches small enough that there is
space between the pieces of meat. If you don't the meat will steam, not sear.
The sear generates a lot of flavor.

After you have seared the meat, leave it on a plate and toss in the onions and
peppers (if you'd like). Use the water generated by cooking them to scrape up
the fond (the brown bits on the pot from searing the meat). More flavor. When
the onions are transparent, toss the meat back in, add the other ingredients and
simmer for a few hours.

OK, that may be more work than you want, but it is good.

-- Doug

This newsgroup is starting to sound like my ladies needlework club ;o)
Aren't there any big, brawny remodeling jobs going on?