OK, per furrer's advice..

FREE SPIRIT CHILI
Step One
2 ½ lbs of chuck,sirloin or round steak. Done in a ‘chili grind’, or 1/2 inch cubes. It needs to be lean. Tell butcher to run it through a coarse grinder ONE time. It will be about the size of fat, curly sticks of licorice. Hope that helps, if all else fails, just cube it.
¼ tube of regular sausage. Jimmy dean, Owens, etc. You need ¼ of one 16oz tube.
1 tsp shortening. either lard or vegetable.
1 can (8oz) no-salt added tomato sauce
1 can (14oz) beef broth
2 ½ cups water

In at least a 4-quart(with lid) or larger pot, brown beef and sausage(broken up)in the shortening(do not drain). Add tomato sauce, beef broth and water. Then stir in DUMP ONE. Bring to boil. Then, reduce heat, put lid on pot, and slow simmer for 1 ¾ hours. Make sure to check and stir every 15-20 minutes or so.

Dump One
3 Tbsp Chili powder
1 Tbsp Onion powder
¾ tsp ground red pepper
2 tsp beef flavored base or instant bouillon
1 tsp chicken flavored base or instant bouillon
½ tsp Salt

It is best to make ALL of these dumps ahead of time, and then just dump them in the pot at the recommended time. Keep in mind, the chili will seem VERY watery and runny at first, but will thicken as it cooks, and as you add the dumps. Make sure to check and stir every 15-20 minutes.

Dump Two
Added after the initial 1 ¾ hours
3 Tbsp Chili powder
1 Tbsp ground Cumin
2 tsp Garlic powder
¼ tsp ground Black pepper

Add DUMP TWO, and keep simmering(with lid on) on low/med low heat for 30 more minutes. Chili will begin to thicken. Add small amounts of water if needed. Check and stir every 15 minutes.

Dump Three
Added at 2 ¼ hour mark
1 Tbsp Chili powder
1 tsp ground Cumin
½ tsp Salt
½ tsp Onion powder
¼ tsp ground Red pepper

Add DUMP THREE, and simmer(with lid on) for additional 15 minutes. You want consistency to be thicker than soup, but not as thick as pudding. Add water at this time if it gets too thick. If its too soupy, then remove lid, turn up heat a little, and cook out some of the water. You need to watch the chili close during this last 15 minutes, it will make or break it. Total cook time will be 2 ½-2 ¾ hours. Serve hot with cheese and crackers, enjoy. PS- unused chili can be refrigerated(5 days) or frozen(2 months), and will get HOTTER as it sits up.

enjoy... feel free to ask any questions that you might have. and i want to clarify.. this is NOT my familys 'secret recipe', but its pretty damn close.. we have a few extras that we add, and a few 'insider' touches, but this is still better than 98% of the chilis you will ever eat. and, not trying to brag, but a close version of this recipe was the Championship Chili of the World winner in 1993. Bill Coad is my dad. and the 2001 winner, he used a real close version of this recipe also.

bigjohn



EXCUSE ME, ARE YOU THE SINGING BUSH??