Chili and beans for museum railroaders

I cooked chili and beans for the crew at the El Dorado Western Railway engine house last Saturday.

This recipe was originally posted at Camp-cook.com by Joanne, host and moderator of the year-old gathering place for outdoor cooks.

Here's Joanne's introduction to the chili recipe from Camp-cook.com:

This is a pretty simple chili but we get a lot of great reviews every time we serve it. It may sound obvious, but the quality of chili powder you use will determine if it's good chili or great chili. I like to go to the Mexican market and buy various bags of ground chili powder, then mix them to my liking. Of course an oven full of corn bread goes great with it!

CHILI AND BEANS

The full-sized recipe makes enough for 25 hungry campers. Cook the chili in a 14-inch deep Lodge oven or 8- to 10-quart stockpot. You can cut the recipe in half for a 12-inch Dutch oven.

3 pounds ground beef
2 pounds country sausage
3 cups chopped onion
3 cups chopped green bell pepper
3 tablespoons minced garlic
5 bay leaves
1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
3 ounces chili powder
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons paprika
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 to 3 quarts beef broth
2 (28-ounce) cans pinto beans
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

Brown ground beef and sausage meat in a 14-inch deep Dutch oven over medium heat. Drain excess fat. Add onions, green peppers and garlic to meat and cook until vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes.

Add bay leaves, oregano, chili powder, cumin, cayenne, paprika and flour to meat mixture. Cook for about 5 minutes while stirring to develop flavor.

Add 2 quarts beef broth and crushed tomatoes to meat mixture. Cover and simmer for about 2 hours. Add additional beef broth as needed to thin chili to desired consistency. Add beans and heat.

This recipe makes about 25 (8-ounce) portions with a little to spare.