Silver Palate Chili for a Crowd

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 pound yellow onions, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage meat, removed from casings
• 2 pounds ground chuck beef
• 1 1/4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 6 ounces canned tomato paste
• 3/4 tablespoon fresh minced garlic
• 3/4 ounce ground cumin seed
• 1 ounce plain chili powder
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 1/2 pounds canned Italian plum tomatoes, drained
• 2 tablespoons red Burgundy wine
• 3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 12 ounces canned dark kidney beans, drained
• 5 1/2 ounces pitted Kalamata black olives, drained
• sour cream, sliced green onions, jalapeño peppers, and/or grated cheese, for serving

Preparation

1. 1

   Heat the olive oil in a large, deep pot and cook the onions until wilted.

2. 2

   Add the sausage meat and begin to brown it. Add the ground beef and continue cooking until all the meat is well browned.

3. 3

   Skim off the excess fat. Stir in the black pepper, tomato paste, garlic, cumin, chili powder, Dijon mustard, salt, basil, and oregano.

4. 4

   Add the drained plum tomatoes, Burgundy wine, lemon juice, dill, parsley, and kidney beans. Stir gently and simmer for about 15 minutes.

5. 5

   Stir in the Kalamata olives just before serving and keep the chili hot. Garnish with sour cream, green onions, jalapeño peppers, and/or cheese as desired.