The Donna’s have a song called “You Make Me Hot” that I believe is the appropriate soundtrack for this entry… thus I give it to you here… 🙂

So this chili right here – it started out as a World Championship recipe that I found on the internet. We chose to ignore the brand names on the spices, and to no one’s surprise, it remained fantastic. It was something Adam and I made (often with shredded cheese and hawaiian bread) for years and loved… and now we make it paleo, keep the serrano seeds in and serve it over diced, steamin’ hot baked potatoes to temper the heat with sweet and the sweet with fiber.

Now, usually I give you an ingredients list, but the fresh spices matter more than the exact ingredients on this one. You’ll get a feel for this one real easy. I’ll bet it rocks hard with game meat.

Rae & A’s Chili

That's good chili!

Serves 6-8

1. Brown 3 pounds of meat. (You don’t need to thoroughly cook – just get a good sear.)

   We like to use 2 pounds of beef (whatever is cheapest and on sale – stew meat, london broil, chuck – or whatever. Adam prefers marbled meat, so it shreds easier, but I honestly don’t think it matters much, since you’re cooking it low and slow.) and one pound of ground pork. Sometimes we’ll swap out one of the pounds of beef for a pound of lamb if we’re really doin’ it up nice, but there’s not a monumental difference unless you have a sophisticated palate, so if you’re trying to save money, stick with the beef.
   We also like sometimes to have 1 or more of the pounds of meat be ground, just for textural difference.

2. Add:
   8 oz Tomato Sauce
   14-1/2 oz Chicken Broth
   1/2 tsp. – Cayenne Pepper
   1 tbsp. – Light Chili Powder (California or New Mexico)
   2 – Serrano Peppers (seeded – or not depending on your heat preference)
   14-1/2 oz. Beef Broth
   1-1/2 tbsp. – Onion Powder
   1 tsp. – Ground Cumin
3. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cook at a simmer for about 1 hour.
4. Remove the peppers and add the following:
   3/4 tsp – White Pepper
   1 tbsp – Corriander
   1/4 tsp – Salt
   3 tbsp – Ancho Chili Powder
   1 tsp – Garlic Powder
   1 tbsp – Ground Cumin
   2 tbsp – Light Chili Powder (California or New Mexico
5. Adjust liquid with remainder of chicken broth or water. Cover and cook for 30 minutes.
6. Add the following:
   1/4 tsp – Maple Syrup
   1 tbsp – Light Chili Powder (California or New Mexico)
   1/4 tsp – Habenaro Hot Sauce (Or other hot sauce of your choice)
   1 tsp – Ground Cumin
7. Reduce heat and simmer/cook for 10 to 15 minutes.
8. Adjust chili – final taste for salt and front and back heat.
9. Serve atop baked, diced sweet potatoes or yams – or another sweet root vegetable, and Enjoy!

I hope this chili rocks your world as much as it does mine!