• 5 lbs. lean ground beef, chuck, sirloin, venison or elk.
• 2 Tbs olive oil (or liquid cooking oil)
• 1 large yellow onion or two medium yellow onions fine chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 green (bell)pepper, fine chopped
• 1/2 cup of coffee left over from morning, or 1/2 cup instant coffee just made.
• 3 1-lb cans diced tomatoes or canned whole tomatoes diced 
• 24 oz tomato sauce (if you want thin chili, use tomato juice)
• 1/3 cup masa flour (corn flour)
• 2 cans red kidney beans (totally optional)
• 1 Tbs coriander
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 pkgs Williams, French's or Hammet House** chili seasoning OR 2 tsp dried, ground red peppers (cayenne,etc.), 1 Tbs paprika. To make 2-alarm (pretty spicey hot) chili, add the crushed, dried peppers and paprika and ALSO the chili seasoning mixes
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 cans of beer, one room temperature, one cold

In a large skillet, heat oil on medium heat, saute` onion and green pepper until onion is translucent, then add 1/2 cup coffee and garlic for about 1-2 minutes. Put sauted` mixture into 8-qt Dutch Oven pot or stock pot. Brown ground meat 2 lbs at a time, draining off excess fat. Put into pot. Remove skillet and put pot on same burner that skillet was on.
Add canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, masa flour, beans (optional) and spices. Add the can of room temperature beer (alcohol cooks completely out of the beer). Mix well all contents. Sip the cold beer while making chili. Cover pot with lid, reduce heat to low, and slowly simmer chili for about 1 hour (low heat) to let flavors mix. Occassionally stir to make sure contents are not burning to bottom of pan. This is the time to let the aroma fill your nostrils...ahhhhh....and to taste your chili to see if you need to adjust your recipe in any way. 
Serves 6-8 people, depending on portions and whether beans used or not. Best served with saltine crackers, tortilla chips, celery and carrot sticks, iced tea, ice cold Coca-Cola and beer, and ice water. 
The above numbers may be cut in half to create enough chili for four people (my family) but there probably won't be much left (grin). 

There are two favors I ask of you who prepare my recipe: bookmark this site, and come back and let me know what you think of it. (I've had people rave about my recipe and have NEVER shared my "secret" ingredients of beer and coffee before now). The second request is that YOU share this recipe with someone else who likes chili con carne. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family and friends do. 

By the way...don't worry...the alcohol from the beer will cook off. Please email me and let me know what you think of this recipe, and if you have a recipe you'd like to share, email it to me and I'll post it on my page. I'll rotate recipes every so often, and will give you credit for your recipe. This ought to help "spice" up OUR page, don't you think?