1/2 pound dried pinto beans
Water
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 cups onions, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
1/2 cup butter
2 pounds beef chuck, coarsely chopped*
1 pound pork shoulder, coarsely chopped*
1/3 cup Gebhardt's chili powder
1 tablespoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons Farmer Brothers ground
cumin**
* Chasen's used the best beef chuck,
center cut, trimmed completely of fat. The
restaurant used a special meat grinder, but
for the home cook, meat chopped into
one-quarter to one-half-inch chunks is much
better than ground meat for this chili.
** Sometimes cumin seed is used in place
of the ground cumin. It's a matter of
personal preference.
Rinse the beans, picking out debris.
Place beans in a Dutch oven with water to
cover. Boil for two minutes. Remove from
heat. Cover and let stand one hour. Drain
off liquid.
Rinse beans again. Add enough fresh water
to cover beans. Bring mixture to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer covered, for one hour
or until tender.
Stir in tomatoes and their juice. Simmer
five minutes. In a large skillet, saute bell
pepper in oil for five minutes. Add onion
and cook until tender, stirring frequently.
Stir in the garlic and parlsey. Add mixture
to bean mixture. Using the same skillet,
melt the butter and saute beef and pork
chuck until browned. Drain. Add to bean
mixture along with the chili powder, salt,
pepper and cumin.
Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat.
Simmer, covered, for one hour. Uncover and
cook 30 minutes more or to desired
consistency. Chili shouldn't be too thick -
it should be somewhat liquid but not runny
like soup. Skim of excess fat and serve.
NOTE: You can freeze this chili for
several months. When reheating refrigerated
leftover or frozen chili, add a few
tablespoons of water to regain proper
consistency
