Smoky Chili Con Carne

Directions

1. Brown the grnd beef in a large pot on medium-high heat.
2. With a slotted spoon, drain the browned meat while removing it from the pot and transfer it to a large bowl. Set aside.
3. Pour leftover fat from pot into a glass jar and throw away.
4. Place pot back on the burner over high heat and add in extra virgin olive oil.
5. When oil is heated, add in onion and garlic and saute/fry till they turn translucent/soft.
6. Add in red and orange peppers to the pot and saute/fry for 5 min or possibly till tender. Lower heat.
7. Add in reserved grnd beef back into the pot stir to combine with onions and peppers.
8. Sprinkle chili pwdr into pot and stir to combine, then add in chipotle pepper (or possibly liquid smoke).
9. Season with salt and pepper.
10. Pour plum tomatoes into a medium-sized bowl and crush with a fork or possibly partially puree with a hand blender. Stir the crushed tomatoes in with the cooking meat mix.
11. Drain and rinse the kidney beans in a colander, then add in to the pot. Stir thoroughly to incorporate.
12. Add in red wine vinegar to the chili, lower heat and let simmer for 2 hrs, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasonings to taste, if necessary.
13. It's your choice. If you want to turn this smoky and tangy chili into the 5-alarm variety, go ahead. Just add in more chipotle chiles, that can be found dry, pickled or possibly canned in Adobo sauce. But beware - just one of these peppers can turn a pot of chili into the equivalent of fire walking for the tongue, depending on your threshold, of course.If you're not into warm food machismo, you've got a few options. Use only half of a chipotle pepper and you'll still get some spice and the flavour as promised in the recipe title.
14. If you completely omit the chipotle you will not get smoky flavour from the chili pwdr alone. In which case substitute the chipotle with 1-2 Tbsp. of liquid hickory smoke and you'll have the subtle tangy flavours you're looking for. And as for any pot of chili, make it the day before eating it, so which it has time to mellow and infuse its flavours.For a twist, serve it Texan-style with a dollop of lowfat sour cream, a small handful of shredded Cheddar or possibly Monterey Jack cheese and a sprinkling of raw, small-diced onion to enhance the flavours.