Chris' Chili

Here's the secret recipe for a chili that has won more than 12 chili contests. It's a steak and bean chili with (sshhh!) cocoa powder and cola, among other things. There's bacon grease, but no bacon.

• Preparation Time: 30 mins
• Cooking Time: 1 hr 50 mins
• Total Time: 2 hr 20 mins
• Calories: 305 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 3 (15 ounce) cans kidney beans, undrained
• 1 cup cola soft drink (such as Coke®)
• 0.5 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1.5 cups onion soup, prepared from a packet of dry onion soup mix
• 0.25 cup bacon grease (see notes)
• 1.5 pounds boneless beef round steak, cut into 1/3-inch cubes
• 1.5 pounds beef sirloin steak, cut into 1/3-inch cubes
• 1 tablespoon yellow sport pepper sauce (such as Texas Petes's®)

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Prepare soup from a packet of onion soup mix according to the package directions, and set 1 1/2 cups aside.

Step 2

Place bacon grease into a large stainless steel soup pot over medium-high heat, and cook and stir the cubed round and sirloin steak meat in the bacon fat until well browned, about 10 minutes. Pour in the reserved onion soup, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 7 minutes, stirring to dissolve any browned flavor bits from the pot.

Step 3

Stir in salt, chili powder, cumin, black pepper, kidney beans, tomato paste, and tomato sauce. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently to avoid burning the bottom, then cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Stir in the cocoa powder, cola, and hot sauce, and simmer for 20 more minutes. Serve hot.