Without sounding like a pretentious dickhead, I try to use as many organic ingredients as I can (disregard the Pabst). Gather your ingredients and place the ground beef in a large pot and toss in the garlic. Cook over medium heat until browned, takes about 15 minutes. You can drain off the excess fat, but sometimes I do not, up to you. If I am using a leaner meat without a ton of excess fat I leave it; I think it adds some richness. Pour in the tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, some red pepper flakes, and cayenne. Stir together well, cover, and then reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes or so. If the mixture becomes overly dry, add 1/2 cup beer.
After an hour, place the masa harina (essentially corn flour, but hey, were getting worldly over here) in a small bowl. Add 1/2 cup of beer and stir together with a fork. It thickens up quick so act fast! Transfer the masa mixture into the chili. Stir together well, and then taste to add any additional seasonings. This is where I usually go nuts and start adding jalapeños, a canister of red pepper flakes, and every other source of heat I have in the house, but I wanted Jamie to enjoy dinner with me, so I kept it pretty tame today. Add more masa paste or beer to get the chili to your preferred consistency. Add the beans and simmer for 10 minutes! Done! Bowl that beast - top it with cheese - get classy and throw some lime slices or some tortilla chips around and you got yourself a nice rainy-day chili!
The goods:
2 pounds ground beef
2 cloves garlic, chopped
One 15-ounce can tomato sauce
2 tablespoons chili powder or to taste
1 tablespoon of red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground oregano
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup masa harina
One 15-ounce can kidney beans
One 15-ounce can pinto beans
Shredded Cheddar, for serving, topping, or throwing around
Tortilla chips, for serving and throwing around
Lime wedges, for serving and throwing around
