A hearty (and hot) Texas-style chili

     This is a chili traditional in one's Super-Bowl Sunday fes-
     tivities. It has won several "no holds barred" (non ICS)
     chili cookoffs where there are no specific rules. It is the
     result of countless changes and adjustments of a small group
     of chili afficianados (aka chiliheads). Note: there is a
     range of peppers specified, you may adjust the "temperature"
     of the resultant chili, mild if you  use the low end, or
     nuclear if you use the high end (we do!).

INGREDIENTS (serves 6-8)

     2 lbs     cheap steak (not too fatty)
     1 lb      stewed tomatoes
     1 lb      whole tomatoes
     1/2 lb    tomato sauce
     1 cup     water (or beer)
     1/4 cup   chili seasoning (*see note below)
     1         large red onion, chopped coarse
     2         garlic cloves, minced or crushed
     2-6        fresh jalepeņo peppers, seeded and minced
     2-6        dried arbole or serrano peppers, whole
     3         Anaheim or California (large) chilis, chopped
               coarse
     1         bell pepper, red or green (optional).
     2 Tbsp    brown sugar
     1 tsp     salt
     2 tsp     black pepper
     4 Tbsp    masa flour
     2 cups    cooked pinto beans

PROCEDURE

          (1)  Trim the meat of all visible fat. If there is a
               large strip of fat on one side of the meat, save
               it whole. Cut meat into 1/4-inch cubes, and brown
               it in a frying pan.

          (2)  In a large chili pot, place tomatoes, tomato sauce
               and water or beer. Bring to a slow boil.

          (3)  Add the meat, chili seasoning, onion, garlic,
               peppers, sugar, salt and pepper. If you are using
               the optional bell pepper, cut it into 1-inch
               strips and add them now. If you have that large
               piece of steak fat, add it now; if not, add 1 Tbsp
               of cooking oil. Cover and reduce heat, simmer at
               least one hour (two to three is better) stirring
               occasionally. At the end of the simmering remove
               and discard the piece of steak fat.

          (4)  Mix the masa flour with about 1/4 cup water and
               add  to  chili  pot along with the pinto beans (or
               any kind you prefer). Simmer an additional 30
               minutes.

          (5)  Serve. If you have made the nuclear version, make
               sure there is plently of beer on hand.

NOTES

     For chili seasoning, Pete makes up batches consisting of 8
     parts chili powder, 2 parts ground cumin, and 1 part crushed
     (not ground) cayenne peppers.

RATING

     Difficulty: easy to moderate.  Time: 30 minutes preparation,
     1 1/2 to 3 hours cooking.  Precision: approximate measure-
     ment OK.

CONTRIBUTOR

     Pete Bellas
     Citicorp TTI, Santa Monica, CA