Six Bean Chili Con Carne

Six Bean Chili Con Carne
Recipe by Dragon

Serves: 8-10

My friends have been asking me to post my Chili Con Carne recipe for a while now. I could never deny my friends anything. This chili involves some work but it is so worth it. Please don't skip the toasting of the spices - it really makes this chili special. There isn't a burning heat from this chili; the heat is more subtle. The heat builds bite after bite until your mouth is pleasantly warm. Feel free to add more heat if you'd like. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 strips of bacon, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
3/4 lb. lean ground beef
3/4 lb. lean ground pork
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder
1/4 teaspoon ancho chili powder
1/2 to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 red onion, diced
1 large carrot, diced
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced
1/4 cup dark beer
2 - 28 oz cans diced tomatoes
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 bay leaves
1 cinnamon stick
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 cup beef stock
Juice of one lemon
3 - 15 oz cans of 5 or 6 bean mix, drained
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:
1. In a large soup pan, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon and set aside. Add the ground beef and pork to the bacon fat and cook until browned. Season with the salt and pepper. Break up the meat into small pieces. When the meat is browned, remove from the pan and set aside. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the pan.

2. In a dry frying pan over medium - low heat, toast chili powder, paprika, cayenne, ancho chili powder until you begin to smell the spices. Set aside.

3. Add olive oil to the soup pan with reserved bacon fat. Heat over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, garlic and jalapenos. Sauté for 2 minutes until the onions are translucent. Add the beer and cook until the liquid is reduced by half.

4. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, toasted spices, oregano, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, sugar, cocoa powder, beef stock and lemon juice. Mix well. Add the reserved cooked meat and bacon. Stay at medium heat until the chili is bubbling then reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer for 2 1/2 - 3 hours. After an hour, remove the cinnamon stick and check the seasoning. Add salt and pepper as needed.

5. Add the mixed beans and simmer for another hour. Remove the bay leaves. Check the seasoning again and add salt and pepper as needed. Just before serving, add the chopped parsley.