Dutch Oven Chili

My wife & I have been really trying to be more thrifty with our meal planning. By that I mean, we make one protein & use it for several meals. Following that theme, Sunday night we had chili dogs, Monday was Frito pie, then Wednesday we used the rest on top of some fantastic tamales.  This is usually a dish that we reserve for the winter, but I needed to quell a craving. My usual recipe calls for stew meat, but my wife enjoys it more when I use ground beef. Happy wife equals happy life. And of course, we can't forget the most import rule.... IF YOU KNOW BEANS ABOUT CHILI, CHILI AIN'T GOT BEANS!

mise en place

Ingredients:
2 lbs ground beef
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 bottle of beer
1 onion, diced
1 jalapeno, diced
1⁄2 cup chili powder
2 teaspoons paprika
4 teaspoons cumin
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground red pepper
*2 tablespoons masa harina flour
*1⁄4 cup hot water

Directions:
Step 1: In a dutch oven, cook hamburger meat & drain off grease.

Step 2: Sauté onions & jalapeno.

Step 3: Return meat to pot, add dry ingredients (not masa), tomato sauce, beer &. Stir well & simmer on low for 1 hour.

* if needed, dissolve 2 tablespoons masa into 1/4 cup hot water to make a thick, but flowable mixture. Add masa mixture to chili. Cover and simmer another 15-20 minutes.

Step by step photos:

start by cooking ground beef

fully cooked

drain off grease

Sauté onions & jalapeno

return meat to pot

add dry ingredients (not masa)

add tomato sauce

add beer & stir well

simmer with lid on for 1 hour

gratuitous close up

dinner is served

a bowl of Texas Red

another gratuitous close up

#tamalemagic

oh ya!

topped with chili, cheese, sour cream & guac

and ANOTHER gratuitous close up

final gratuitous close up

Happy eating folks!