Mieke's Chili con Carne

I know everyone has their favourite version of Chili...it is one of those versatile recipes that you can do a lot with. Have you ever mixed your chili with homemade macaroni and cheese? Or had coney fries...well done French fries topped with 1-1/2 cups hot chili, then topped with grated smoked cheddar...how about chili enchilada bake? Or chili nachos, with lots of cheese, jalapeños, and hot cheese sauce? dont forget chili dogs with lots of fresh green onion and a bit of shredded cheddar! See, lots of things to do with one recipe of chili, besides there is nothing as satisfying as a bowl of chili on a cold day.....so comforting.
Note:
I use medium ground beef because it has lots of flavour, you will pour off the accumulated fat, reserving one or two tablespoons to sauté the vegetables in this recipe. If you use Ancho chili powder, it gives the chili a deeper flavour, but chipotle chili powder gives it a Tex-mex smoky flavour.

Mieke's Chili

1-1/2 pounds medium ground beef
2 medium yellow or white onions,chopped med. dice
1 large yellow pepper,Chopped med. dice
1/2 red or green pepper, chopped med. dice
1 jalapeño pepper, deseeded, Finely chopped(keep the seeds in if you want it hotter)
1 teaspoon Salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3-4 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ancho chili powder, or chipotle chili powder
Pinch or two of crushed chilies
1/2 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic, fresh or granulated
2 tablespoons dried Mexican Oregano
2-3 medium fresh tomatoes chopped
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1-28 ounce San Marzano tomatoes, diced with juice
1-14 ounce can Aurora brand diced tomatoes (or if you made my Mexican tomato sauce in the fall, use 1 jar)
1-8 ounce can tomato sauce (hunts)
1-14 ounce can of water

Beans and Corn
1-20 ounce can Romano beans, drained and rinsed
1-14 ounce cans beans in Tomato sauce, (you can use a can of chipotle flavoured beans but only use 1)
1 cup frozen corn

Brown the ground beef in a large 10-12 quart pot (a large Dutch oven will do), brown over medium high heat until all the pink has been cooked out, drain the meat, reserving 1/4 cup of the fat, (pour the rest in the recycling bin), remove meat from pot, set aside, add all of the onion, peppers, fresh garlic if using with 2-3 tablespoons of the reserved fat, sauté until softened 2-3 minutes, stirring all the while, add the meat, stir to combine, add the salt and pepper, the chili powders, the oregano, the onion powder and garlic powder if using, stir well, sauté until all spices are incorporated and it is fragrant, then add the fresh tomatoes, stir well, then add the vinegar, and the rest of the tomato products and the can of water, stir well, bring it to boil, stirring let it boil a minute, then turn it down to let it simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Now you can add the beans, stirring well, let simmer for 30-40 more minutes, then turn it off and let it rest to mingle the flavours, check for salt and pepper, add to taste. Chili is really better the next day, but you can eat it same day but it will be spicy! When ready to serve, heat gently, add the cilantro to each bowl, if using, accompany each bowl with slices of avocados, shredded cheddar or smoked cheddar, some sour cream and a sprinkle of sliced green or red onion, Enjoy, prepare for a treat