SAN ANTONIO CHILI
About 6 quarts

The ingredients are roughly grouped by where you would pick them up in a grocery store.  The spices go in in two batches, so they are separated, the fresh cilantro is added at the end, but be sure to pick it up in produce as you go through!!! This works best with two people cooking (one cutting and cooking the pot of chili and one cutting and cooking for the meats).

INGREDIENTS

2 lbs.. Italian Sausage Bulk with Fennel Seeds
(I prefer to use Sweet italian sausage, or a mixture of sweet and hot.  There are already enough ways to make this dish hot)
2 lbs. Ground Round Steak (course grind - sometimes called chili grind)
2 lbs. Lean Beef Chuck (cut into 3/8" cubes)
2 lbs. Lean Pork cut into 3/8" cubes

½ lb. Beef suet (or shortening if necessary)

2 Heads of Garlic, minced (about 14 cloves)
6 Large Onions, chopped (6 Cups)
2 Large Green Peppers, chopped
(don't forget the cilantro - below)

3  Tbs Cumin (I like half seed and half powder)
4  Tbs Paprika
14 Tbs Chili Powder (~1 cup or an entire 4.5 oz bottle works)
1  Tbs Oregano (Mexican Style)
1  tsp Thyme
1  tsp Basil
4  Tbs Beef Bouillon (granular)

2 cans beer (Reserve 1 can for deglazing)

1 6 oz can tomato paste
2 8 oz cans of tomato sauce
2 25 oz cans whole tomatos, coarsly cut (reserve juice for thicker chili - cans of diced tomatos is fine if you don't need to make it thicker)
1 8 oz Canned chilis (drain and remove seeds and chop finely)

4 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
2 Tbs Red Hot sauce (adjust to taste)

½ lb. Muenster Cheese (chop into 1: cubes)
8 oz. Sour Cream

1 cup Fresh Cilantro, chopped (a 2 oz bunch or so works well)

2 Teaspoons ground coriander (or dried cliantro)
1 tsp Sesame Seed
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Black Pepper
1 Tbs Cocoa Powder
(The above 4 ingredients are my guess at a version of Mole powder)

DIRECTIONS FOR PUTTING THIS GOLDMINE TOGETHER

Brown each of the meats in a large skillet and set aside. Deglaze the pan with beer between meats and add to the rest of the chili.

In a large, heavy bottomed pot, saute onions, green pepper, and garlic in beef suet.

Add paprika, oregano, chili powder, thyme, basil, cumin, beef bouillion, and beer, and let simmer.

Add the tomato stuff (tomatos, tomato paste, and tomato sauce) and the chilis to the pot before the mixture burns.

Add the meats and simmer for 2 hours.

Blend cocoa, black pepper, cinnamon, sesame, and coriander and call it Mole mixture.  Set aside

Add brown sugar, red hot sauce, muenster cheese, and sour cream. Salt to taste (I've never found it needed any salt)

A few minutes before serving, add Mole mixture and fresh cilantro - or use the two as garnish.

Top with fresh chopped onion and grated cheddar cheese. Garnish with a bit more fresh cilantro if desired

NOTE: By cooking the meats in the order they are listed, it is much easier to get the meats cut and cooked at the same time as the onions and peppers.  I usually start browning the sausage and melt the lard while I cut the onions.  Start the onions while I cut the peppers, then do the garlic.  By then the sausage is brown and I brown the ground beef while I cut the pork, then brown the pork while I cut the chuck.  Be sure to add the spices and beer to the onions and peppers BEFORE the tomato stuff. Add the meats all at the same time (more or less) and don't over simmer or the fats will render out.  If the chili will be frozen or kept for another time, it tastes best to add the Mole mixture and cilantro before reheating (or just before serving).