• 2 lbs ground beef or venison
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tbsps good chili powder
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper (or to taste)
• 1 1/2 tbsps cumin
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tsps salt
• 1- 28oz diced tomatoes
• 1 – 6oz can tomato paste
• 4 cups of water
• 1- 4.5oz can diced green chilies (or 3-4 roasted poblanos)
• 2 – 15oz can kidney beans, drained
• 2 – 15oz can pinto beans, undrained
• Suggested toppings (shredded cheese, diced onions, jalapenos, sour cream, diced avocado, tortilla chips)

In a large pot over medium-high heat, brown ground meat with onions until no longer pink. Drain excess fat, if desired.

Lower heat to medium-low. Add garlic, chili powder, crushed red pepper, cumin, oregano, and black pepper. Cook 2-3 minutes, stirring, until spices bloom and become fragrant.

Add salt, tomatoes, tomato paste and water. Stir to combine, scraping the pot bottom to remove browned bits.

Add canned or roasted chilies and beans. Rinse cans with ½ can of water each and add to pot.

Bring pot to a simmer (if not already simmering) and turn heat to low. Cook one hour, stirring occasionally. Taste for salt, and add if needed. Serve hot with assorted toppings.

Serves 8

Recipe by Beth Sturges

It’s February! That means Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Groundhog Day, Valentine’s Day, and…National Chili Day? Yes! Chili!

Every year, National Chili Day is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of February. All over the U.S., people pull out Dutch ovens, Crockpots, and Instant Pots to cook up some warm, comforting chili-goodness.

While there is some controversy over where chili actually originated, many historians say chili can be traced back as far as the 16^th century. In 1529, Franciscan friar Bernardino de Sahagún wrote about stews seasoned with chili peppers in Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital which is now Mexico City.

In The Chili Cookbook, author Robb Walsh describes an 1850s recipe using dried beef, dried chili peppers, suet, and salt, which was pounded together into bricks and dried. Easily carried and stored, it could then be reconstituted by boiling pieces of the dried mixture.

Today, chili is revered as a western tradition in the United States that has spread around the globe. Chili competitions are held everywhere, with categories like “best flavor” and “most spicy.”

The biggest controversy surrounding chili: beans. Traditionalists argue that chili is nothing more than meat, chilis, and time. Not-so-traditionalists say that beans are a must. The International Chili Society says that while Traditional Red Chili and Chili Verde are never made with beans, pasta, or rice, for other chili recipes, anything goes!

If you are ready for a delicious bowl of the good stuff, try our recipe for Family-Style Chili. You can decide whether to leave out the beans.