Award-Winning Chili

Well, I can say this is award-winning since I was once the chili champ at my office's annual Chili Cook-Off! It's a prestigious honor, of course!

Tomorrow is my this year's cook-off, so I thought I'd share this recipe with you. I got the original recipe from a friend years ago, and once again, have tweaked it just a bit to suit my tastes. It is the ONLY recipe I use for chili, so I must think it's very good. I hope you enjoy it.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Servings: 8

Ingredients:

2 pounds ground sirloin
2 16 oz. cans tomato sauce
1 can black beans
1 can chili-flavored pinto beans (I buy "hot" chili beans)
2 small cans sliced mushrooms (optional)
2 onions, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, finely diced
3 can Rotel tomatoes
1 can or bottle beer (use the kind you like)
1 sack of chili mix (I use Carroll Shelby's Original Chili mix)
Tabasco sauce (to taste)
Salt and pepper (to taste)

Directions:

Over medium heat, brown ground sirloin in a skillet with the onions until the sirloin is cooked through and the onions are tender. Drain fat, if there is any, and put mixture into a large pot.

Over medium heat, dain the black beans and mushrooms and add them to the pot. Add the pinto beans, undrained. Then add the Rotel tomatoes, tomato sauce and jalapenos. Add the chili mix, a couple shakes of Tabasco and salt and pepper to taste. Finally, add the beer and stir well.

Bring the chili to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer as long as you like. The longer it simmers, the better the taste.