Beef Chili

Dried red chilies are so good in beef chili. Choose whichever type you like and adjust how much you use according to your spiciness preference, or you can omit it and just rely on the chili powder for that classic chili flavor. We used a New Mexico chili, which is a very mild but flavorful chili.

1 lb ground beef
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 large red or yellow onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, sliced or diced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
1/3 cup tomato paste
1 teaspoon beef broth concentrate
1 bay leaf
1 New Mexico or Pasilla chili pepper, soaked in hot water to soften, finely chopped
1 15 oz. can kidney beans, rinsed & drained
1 teaspoon smoked salt

1. Add the ground beef to a large heavy skillet. Cook over medium heat, breaking it up; season lightly with salt. Cook until no longer pink. Remove meat with a slotted spoon to a bowl. You can pour off some of the fat in the pan if you want, or leave it all, depending on how much fat was in the beef.
2. Add the celery, onion, carrots, and green pepper. Season lightly with salt and saute until softened, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle with the cumin and chili powder and cook another minute.
3. Pour in the diced tomatoes. Fill the tomato can with water and add to the pan. Add in the tomato paste, broth concentrate, chopped chili pepper, bay leaf, and smoked salt and stir everything together. Stir in the kidney beans and cooked meat. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, and cook for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until veggies are soft. Taste and add more salt if needed, or add some black pepper, for additional spiciness. Remove bay leaf and serve with toppings such as cotija cheese, grated cheddar cheese, sour cream, or chopped green onion.