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 (shhh!) cocoa powder and cola, among other things. There's bacon grease, but no bacon.

• Preparation Time: 30 mins
• Cooking Time: 1 hr 45 mins
• Total Time: 2 hr 15 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

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

Step 2

Stir in kidney beans, tomato sauce, tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently to avoid burning the bottom. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Step 3

Stir in cola, pepper sauce, and cocoa. Simmer until flavors blend, about 20 more minutes. Serve hot.