Chili con Carne

Chili con carne is said to have been invented by Mexican residents of Texas. J.C. Clopper, a reporter visiting San Antonio in 1828, described the dish this way: "When they have to pay for their meat in the market, a very little is made to suffice a family; it is generally cut into a kind of hash with nearly as many peppers as there are pieces of meat. This is all stewed together."

Ingredients ::

• 2 pounds ........................ extra-lean ground beef
• 1 ..................................... large onion, chopped
• 2 ..................................... garlic cloves, minced or pressed
• 1 ..................................... quart skinned fresh tomatoes or home-canned tomatoes, or
• 2 (16-ounce) ................... cans tomatoes
• 1 (8-ounce) ..................... can tomato sauce
• 4 cups ............................. beef broth
• 2 to 3 tablespoons ........... chili powder
• 1 tablespoon .................... ground cumin
• Salt to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon .................... dried leaf oregano
• Dash of hot-pepper sauce
• 2 cups pinto beans, cooked*, or 2 (16-ounce) cans pinto or red
• kidney beans, drained

Directions ::

In a heavy Dutch oven, slowly brown beef with onion and garlic until meat is cooked through. Add tomatoes with juice, tomato sauce, beef broth, chili powder, cumin, salt, oregano and hot-pepper sauce. Simmer beef mixture, covered, 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Add cooked or canned beans and simmer 30 minutes longer. Makes 8 servings.

To cook pinto beans: Follow package directions. Or, wash and pick over beans; place in a large saucepan. Cover with water and soak overnight. Drain. Cover with water again. Simmer, covered, 2 to 3 hours or until beans are tender.
For the "quick-soak" method: Wash and pick over beans; place in a large saucepan. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand 1 hour. Return to a simmer and cook, covered, 3 to 4 hours or until beans are tender.