In a non-stick or seasoned cast iron pan add the ground beef breaking it up with a spatula to cook over medium heat. We prefer varying sized pieces of ground beef to add texture to our chili.
To get the most flavour out of your ground beef refrain from over stirring it. It might be tempting to stir frequently but if you do your beef will not brown properly.
Make sure to drain the liquid throughout the cooking process. If you allow the liquid to sit in the pan it will steam the meat and hinder the browning process.
While the meat is cooking dice the onion. Once the pink colour of the hamburger is just gone and there is no more liquid to drain you can add the onion to the ground beef.
When the onions turn translucent turn down the heat to get that last bit of colour. As you can see in the photo, we like our meat browned.
Next add the spices to the ground beef and onions stirring until it coats the beef. Heating the spices in the pan will bring out more of their flavour.
Add the tomato paste to the pan once again stirring until the beef is coated before transferring your mixture to a medium sized pot.
Fill the tomato paste can with water and use it to deglaze the pan before adding it to the pot. You want to make sure you get all the browned goodness into your chili.
Add an additional two cans of water along with sugar, salt and the entire contents of the kidney beans into the pot. We also use the liquid from the canned kidney beans because it adds some salt and thickens the chili.
Let the chili simmer for an hour. Depending on what pot or pan you are using you may need to add more water if it reduces quickly. Stir every 10 to 15 minutes to prevent the chili from sticking to the pot. Enjoy!
