chickens don't like chili

Aha! She has returned from her travels! Perhaps she purchased some corn and has some sitting in her lap, ready to fling out on to the ground and make us happy. No? Well. We'll just see who wants to lay in the coop tomorrow. Perhaps we will lay in the most obscure places in the woods that we can find. The corn must flow!

Time for a recipe. This one is a favorite with friends. Add some tasty beer and homemade cornbread (with jalapenos in it, of course) and you have a divine dinner. Charlie loves cooking with spices, so remember that a big T means a tablespoon. You will use a lot, but it will taste wonderful. I order my spices from Penzey's and keep backup in the freezer. We go through a LOT of chili powder in this house. New Mexican chili powder can often be found in the Mexican section of the grocery store. It usually comes in a slim cellophane bag rather than a little plastic jar, and comes in hot or mild. And don't be shy with the cumin.

Charlie Chili

1 small onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, diced
pinch salt
approx 2t pepper
> saute in 1 1/2 T peanut oil until cooked through

add:
1 lb ground lamb
1 lb ground beef
> cook until meat is browned uniformly

add:
1 bottle beer (lager or your choice)
15 oz can tomato sauce
1 can red kidney beans, NOT drained
1 can black beans, NOT drained
> stir to combine

add:
7T chili powder (yes, Seven Tablespoons)
5T new mexican chili powder (or for less hot chili use more regular chili powder)
1T paprika (your choice of heat)
1t dried onion
2t granulated garlic
2T cumin
1t oregano
2t cayenne (for less hot use 1t)
1T salt
2t black pepper
> stir and simmer for about an hour

20 minutes before serving, add:
4 fresh tomatoes, diced

optional to thicken a bit: 5 minutes before serving, add:
2t masa mixed with enough water to make a paste

> stir and serve with pickled jalapenos, sour cream, cheese, and more hot sauce.

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Eggs laid in the coop today: 1
Eggs found in the woods today: 0