72 Market Street Kick-Ass Chili

If you like your chili with a kick, this meaty, spicy one has it. The recipe calls for "chili-grind" meat, a cut you can ask your butcher to grind. The restaurant uses Bass ale but feel free to use any ale you like. This is the chili that I make for pot-lucks, in part because it is requested, but also I can be pretty sure it will be consumed before the party is over. The recipe was developed by chef Leonard Schwartz at the 72 Market Street Restaurant in the Venice community of Los Angeles, California. The restaurant is no longer there but many of their recipes live on in print. For example, you can find the restaurant's meat loaf recipe in the New Basics Cookbook by Rosso and Lukins. This chili recipe was published in the Los Angeles Times.

• Ready In: 2 hrs
• Serves: 5

Ingredients

• 1⁄4 lb bacon, diced
• 3  lbs beef stew meat, chili grind
• 1 1⁄2 lbs  pork butt, chili grind
• 2  tablespoons  peanut oil
• 1 2⁄3 cups  white onions, chopped
• 2  jalapenos, diced
• 1 3⁄4 teaspoons oregano
• 1  teaspoon cumin
• 2 1⁄2 tablespoons fresh chili peppers, minced, such as New Mexico serranos or 2 1⁄2 tablespoons  california green chilies
• 2 1⁄2 tablespoons  ground pastilla chilies
• 1 1⁄4 tablespoons cayenne
• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons garlic, chopped
•  salt (to taste)
• 1 (16 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1  lb plum tomato, diced
• 6  tablespoons water
• 1 1⁄4 cups ale
• 3⁄4 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions

1. Cook bacon in a skillet until crisp; strain and reserve drippings for another use, set bacon aside.
2. Saute beef and pork in a hot skillet with peanut oil until brown; add onions and jalapenos, cook until onions are tender.
3. Add oregano, cumin, New Mexico and pastilla chiles, cayenne, garlic and salt to taste; stir then add tomato puree, tomatoes, water and ale.
4. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer, simmer until the meat is tender, about one hour.
5. Add bacon and sprinkle with lemon juice just before serving.