Bacon grease and tender sirloin steak are the key ingredients in this classic, filling dish, perfect for chillier weather!

Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: up to 1 hour

Chili Con Carne

 Hello to Anyonita Nibbles's wonderful readers! A couple of years ago, my family moved 2 hours away from the hometown where my husband and I grew up, which was a little town outside of Birmingham, Alabama. Aside from making the adjustments to living so far away from our families, there were also few restaurants we had grown up eating that we missed.


I am sure each of you have restaurants in your hometown that makes you feel nostalgia! One of my husband's favorites was a little Mexican restaurant named Del Toro. We already cracked the code for their Queso Blanco years ago and now, my husband says not only have I recreated their chilli con carne, he suspects it's better than the pot they sent out!  

Ingredients:

For the chili con carne
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 fresh jalapeno, minced (remove the ribs & seeds if you'd like to tone down the heat)
1 lime, juiced
1 can crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 cups beef broth
2 pounds sirloin, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons bacon grease (can substitute oil or butter)
4 cloves garlic, minced
Toppings
shredded cheese
sour cream

Chilli Con Carne

Instructions:

1. Saute sliced sirloin in a dutch oven or large casserole dish for about five minutes.
2. Add bell peppers and onion and saute a further two minutes.
3. Reduce heat to medium and add the garlic and jalapeno, stirring constantly for two minutes.
4. Add beef broth, crushed tomatoes, salt, pepper, chilli powder, lime juice and sugar.
5. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer, covered for at least 30 minutes.

What are some of your favourite hometown restaurants?