Chili

From Tom V. Ray
Serves 16

This recipe is adapted from Jay Pennington’s Chili, which apparently won the title of World Champion Chili back in 1977. I wish I could say something more about it, but it was served on our SRO opening night, and the pot was being licked clean before I could fight my way through the crowd. Ah, well. I hear it was good.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon cooking oil
3 medium onions, finely chopped
2 bell peppers, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
8 pounds coarse ground round steak (lean chili grind)
2 No. 2 cans Hunts tomato sauce (A No. 2 can equals 2 1/2 cups or 20 ounces)
2 No. 2 cans Hunts stewed tomatoes
2 No. 2 cans water
1 6-oz. can Hunts tomato paste
1 4-oz. can chile salsa
1 3-inch green canned hot pepper, finely chopped (only one chile from the can)
2 3-oz. bottles Gebhardt chile powder
1 4-oz. can green diced chile
dash of oregano
salt to taste (approximately 3 tablespoons)
pepper (course ground) to taste
garlic salt to taste

Preparation
Put oil in a 10-12 quart pot. Add onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic cloves. Cook until onion is transparent. Add meat gradually, stirring until the redness disappears. Add the remaining ingredients, stirring after each addition. Lower heat and simmer two and a half to three hours. Stir frequently to prevent scorching.