Beef Chili

20 servings

4 tablespoons vegetable oil

5 onions, chopped

2 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped

2/3 cup chili powder

21/2  tablespoon cumin

3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Salt

15 garlic cloves, minced

5 pounds (85 percent lean) ground beef

5 (15.5-ounce) cans dark red kidney beans, rinsed

2 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes

3 (28-ounce) can tomato puree

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onions, bell pepper, chili powder, cumin, cayenne, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook until the vegetables have softened, about 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 15 seconds.

Add the beef and increase the heat to medium-high. Cook, breaking up the beef with a spoon, until no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Stir in the beans, diced tomatoes with their juice, tomato puree, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 45 minutes.

Remove the lid and continue to simmer until the beef is tender, about 45 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste before serving.

 TO MAKE AHEAD

The chili can be cooled, covered, and refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 1 month. Reheat over low heat, adding additional water or broth to adjust the consistency.

NOTES

A combination of diced tomatoes and tomato puree works best to create a desirably thick consistency for this chili. Also, leaving the lid on for half of the cooking time helps give that perfect chili thickness.