Some folks have made Tavolatim's and enjoyed it. I sure do miss him? Anyone know where he went? He okay?

Tavola's Chili

serves 6-8

2 lbs pork roast -- cut into 1" pieces
2 lbs cheap ground beef -- (You'll need the fat. This isn't health food.)
1/2 cup GOOD chile powder -- (Your local supermarket brand tastes like cardboard.)
1 HUGE onion -- roughly chopped
1 head garlic -- minced
8 New Mexican green chiles -- roasted, peeled, seeded, chopped.
1 Tbl hot Hungarian paprika -- (This is legal. Paprika is a chile.)
1 Tbl ground cumin
4 beef boullion cubes
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes -- (Don't worry. You won't even know they are there.)
1 bottle amber Mexican beer -- (Dos Equiis, Noche Buena, or any Oktoberfest will do.)
1/4 cup bourbon -- (This is one of those things that just happened.)
2 squares bitter baker's chocolate -- (Not as weird as it sounds.)
salt to taste
Sautee 1/4 of the garlic and onions until translucent. Add 1/4 of the meat, chile powder and brown. Salt the meat while cooking. Put into your chili pot. Cast iron is best. Repeat until all the meat is done. Put the rest of the ingredients in you chili pot and simmer for for a hour. As in any recipe, the amount of ingredients is variable. Add more of anything you want, especially chiles.
You now have the power. Use it wisely. The eyes of Texas are upon you

I made one from Cook's Illustrated recently that I liked. I'll try to find it.

Five Alarm Chili from Cook's Country

I added chocolate to this and did not put the beans in. I didn't follow the measurements exactly. It was good, though. I liked the varying seasonings and I'll make it again. I also used Dos Equis for the beer.

Serves 8 to 10

Look for ancho chiles in the international aisle at the supermarket. Light-bodied American lagers, such as Budweiser, work best here. Serve chili with lime, sour cream, scallions, and cornbread.
Ingredients

2 ounces dried ancho chiles (4 to 6 chiles), stemmed, seeded, and flesh torn into 1-inch pieces
3 1/2 cups water
1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
3/4 cup crushed corn tortilla chips
1/4 cup canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce plus 2 teaspoons adobe sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 pounds 85 percent lean ground beef
Salt and pepper
2 pounds onions, chopped fine
2 jalapeño chiles, stemmed, seeds reserved, and minced
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 cups beer
3 (15-ounce) cans pinto beans, rinsed

Instructions

1. Combine anchos and 1½ cups water in bowl and microwave until softened, about 3 minutes. Drain and discard liquid. Process anchos, tomatoes and their juice, remaining 2 cups water, tortilla chips, chipotle, and adobo sauce in blender until smooth, about 1 minute; set aside.

2. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add beef, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper and cook, breaking up pieces with spoon, until all liquid has evaporated and meat begins to sizzle, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain in colander; set aside.

3. Heat remaining 4 teaspoons oil in now-empty Dutch oven over medium-high heat until simmering. Add onions and jalapeños and seeds and cook until onions are lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, cumin, chili powder, oregano, coriander, sugar, and cayenne and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour in beer and bring to simmer. Stir in beans, reserved ancho-tomato mixture, and reserved cooked beef and bring to simmer. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 50 to 60 minutes. Season with salt to taste. Serve.

FT, if you roast the jalapenos and then chop them up, they add another flavor dimension to whatever chili you're making. Sometimes, I add both fresh and roasted.

This post was edited on 8/14/14 at 3:11 pm