Manifesto Joe's pot of red-hot Texas chili

Jack Jodell, a big bowl of this will warm you up, even on those below-zero Minnesota nights.

1 pound of very lean ground beef. Same amount of very lean stew beef works very well, too.

1 chorizo sausage, chopped or ground. A Kielbasa will do if you can't get chorizo.

1 large red bell pepper, or 2 smaller ones, chopped. Green ones are OK.

1 large can (29 oz.) of tomatoes, or 2 14-oz. cans.

1/3 cup of ketchup

1 medium onion, chopped

Several cloves of garlic, chopped

New Mexico chili powder, to taste. I recommend a lot.

Cumin powder, the same

1 teaspoon of dried oregano

Salt and black pepper, to taste. It might be wise to add table salt after cooking.

6 oz. of beer, or water

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1 large can (29 oz.) of pinto beans, and 1 medium can (14 oz.) of black beans

1 stalk of celery, chopped

1 fresh habanero pepper, finely chopped (Optional, depending on how hot & spicy you like your chili. If you want it in the medium range of heat, substitute 1 fresh jalapeno pepper.)

6-8 dried chipotle peppers, ground to powder (Also optional, depending on your heat tolerance. Use 3-4 for the medium range of heat. The ones in cans, in adobo sauce, also work.)

1 tablespoon of paprika

Cayenne pepper, to taste, for those who like it hot

1 cup of beef stock

1 thick slice of bacon, or 2 thin slices, chopped. (Optional) Fry the bacon first if you want less fat.

1/2 teaspoon of allspice

1 tablespoon of Worchestershire sauce

1/2 of a poblano pepper

Quaker oats -- amount depends on how thick you like your chili. A lot will also cut the heat.

Juice of 1/2 of a lime

Combine all ingredients, except oats and lime juice, in a large stew pot and slowly bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for an hour, stirring occasionally and breaking up larger ingredients like meat and tomatoes. Add oats during simmer time to thicken, or water to thin, as desired. Add lime juice near the end of cooking to sharpen slightly.

Turn off heat and let it cool a bit. Serve with crackers or warm tortillas, chopped fresh cilantro and grated Monterey Jack cheese. (Mozzarella cheese works, too.)

After refrigeration and reheating, this is even better on the second day. Try to eat it all up by the third day -- it's perishable. Or, the leftovers can be frozen. It still tastes great after thawing.

PS: Meat substitutes, in appropriate amounts, work with this, too, if you're a vegetarian. I recommend a product called Soyrizo as a substitute for the chorizo sausage. It's yummy.