Chili con Carne

Ingredients for 10 servings:

• 750 g beef or ox meat from breast, shoulder, neck or underside
• 100 g smoked pork belly
• 2 large onions
• 4 garlic cloves
• 3 stalk(s) Celery or 1 slice of celeriac
• 2 carrots
• 2 bell peppers, colored
• 2 Jalapeño(s), fresh or 0.5 tbsp Paprika powder, hot or 0.5 tbsp Cayenne pepper
• 850 g kidney beans, soaked, alternatively 3 cans of 425 ml each
• 850 g chili beans, soaked, light, alternatively 2 cans of 425 ml beans
• 4 tomatoes, peeled, diced or 1 can of 425 ml
• 1 can of corn kernels, approx. 210 ml
• 5 tbsp olive oil
• 50 g lard
• 500 ml beef broth or stock
• 250 ml red wine, strong
• 1 tbsp paprika powder, sweet
• 4 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp cumin powder
• some thyme, freshly ground
• some oregano, freshly ground
• salt and pepper

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour 30 minutes; Total time approx. 2 hours 30 minutes

With home-minced beef

The most important thing is to prepare the meat. Remove any tendons, skin, and any remaining fat from the beef, then cut it into 1-1.5 cm cubes. Peel and dice the onions and fry them in olive oil in a large pot. Finely chop the smoked pork belly and add it. Gradually add the diced carrots, celery, and bell peppers and fry them, stirring. Brown the beef in batches in the iron skillet in lard, season with a little thyme and pepper, then deglaze with red wine, reduce briefly, and add it to the braised vegetables. You will need to brown the meat about three times. Pour in the broth, add the bay leaves. Season with paprika, chili, oregano, and cumin, and stir. Gradually add the beans with a little of the soaking water, diced tomatoes, and corn kernels. Add the garlic, crushed or mashed with salt, and simmer for about 45 minutes. Stir gently every 5-10 minutes, as the beans tend to stick. Then turn off the heat. The amount of garlic and the residual heat will allow the dish to simmer for another 3-4 hours. Serve with baguettes, grated cheddar, and beer.