Big Mike's Texas Chili

Chili is the ideal one pot dish. You can make everything in one pot, serve it from one pot, store it in one pot and when you are done - clean one pot. What's not to like about that?

For this recipe, I've added some new twists to my standard chili recipe, particularly, adding some new peppers into the ingredients list.

Ingredients
2 Pablano peppers roasted, peeled and deseeded
1 red bell pepper roasted, peeled and deseeded
2 oz. chipotle peppers in adobo sauce - diced small
1 medium onion
1 lb. ground sirloin
1 40 oz. can Bush's chili hot beans
2 14.5 oz. cans stewed tomatoes (I like the ones seasoned with Jalapenos, garlic and cumin)
1 28 oz. can tomato sauce
1 8 oz. can tomato paste
1 tbs. salt
1 tbs. black pepper
4-5 tbs. chili powder
1/4 tsp. ground red pepper
2 tbs. dried cilantro
4 oz. frozen corn

Directions
(Do this prep work ahead of cooking the chili. It's fun, easy and worth every extra minute.)
Preheat broiler to high
1. Place Pablano peppers and a halved red bell pepper on a cookie sheet (I like to use no stick aluminum foil), and place on the highest rack of the oven under broiler flames. Broil for about 10 minutes on each side, or until the Pablanos are black and bubbly looking. The red pepper will be blackened a lot too. Don't worry we like this!

2. Place the peppers in a bowl and cover tightly with shrink wrap to steam them. Set aside and let cool until they are cool enough to handle. When they are cool enough to touch, unwrap them and peel the loose papery skin off them by gently pulling on the membrane. It should come off very easily. Take out the seeds and chop into 3/4 inch pieces. Save in a bowl for later.

3. As long as you are chopping peppers, you can also take out your chipotle peppers and chop them up fine also. Save in a small bowl for later.

Two hours before serving:
4. Splash some olive oil in the bottom of a hot Dutch oven. Brown ground sirloin until about half done. Season liberally with salt and pepper.

5. Add onion, cilantro, red pepper, and a dash of chili pepper. Cook until onions are tender and meat is completely browned.

6. Everybody in the pool! Add chili hot beans, tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes, tomato paste, roasted peppers, chipotle peppers and remaining chili powder. Simmer over medium-low heat for 1 hour, stirring frequently.

One hour before serving:
7. Add frozen corn and reduce heat to low. Continue cooking on low and stirring occasionally.

8. Remove from heat and let cool slightly before serving.

Enjoy with buttered corn muffins or a hardy crusty bread for sopping. It's even better the second day, so plan on a leftover party.