A Broad Reference

Our friend Ben invited us to watch the UC Berkeley Football vs the Oregon Ducks. It was a pretty fun time, since it was my first football game EVER. A friend warned me that one was supposed to be miserable at football games. So I went expecting the worst, but I didn't have a good concept of how bad it could really get. It was so bad that the two rows in front of us left before half time. As you know, I'm now a precipitation expert having sampled quite a few kinds in Taiwan. For the majority of the game it was a steady downpour, and in the 3 quarter it really started to resemble freezing cold monsoon conditions! Luckily we had come prepared with technical dri-weave socks, hats, raingear and large garbage bags to use as skirts shield the legs while we were seated. The only real problem was the wicking action from the bottom up, which did account for some seepage up to the knees. The players splashed around the field, dropping the ball frequently. The game was very close and exciting- Oregon was within 3 points for a long time. Cal eventually won 26/16.

Afterwards Gwynie and I hosted an apre-game tailgate party. We were so glad to warm up with bowls of chili and chili cheese dogs. I was quite pleased with the result, and altho I felt it could have been spicier, Gwynie voted for mild.

Beans
1 ham hock cut into pieces
1 medium onion chopped (about 1 cup)
5 cloves garlic whole
3 chipotle chiles en adobo , minced
2 scotch bonnet peppers whole
1 lb dried kidney beans
10 cups water
2 bay leaves
1 tsp black pepper
2 tsp coriander seeds
2 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp mustard seeds

Rinse and sort the beans. If you are concerned about beans being the musical fruit you can soak them overnite and discard the water. I generally don't bother with that step coz it requires planning, forethought and an empty kitchen counter upon which to place the soaking beans. I haven't personally noticed any difference in the tooting, but some people swear by it (including the oracle). If you do soak then reduce the cooking water by 2 cups.

I throw all the ingredients into my trusty crock pot. Set it on high and walk away for about <3 hours, the beans should be slightly al dente but cooked. You can stir if you like but it's not really necessary. If you let it go for too long (4+ hours) the beans start to lose structure and will disintegrate (good if you're going for refritos style).
At this point cool the beans, & pull out the bones. Shred the pork and return to the pot.
If you used scotch bonnet, make sure to pull them out intact. Cooling allows the flavors to develop more fully inside the beans, so don't skip this step.

Chili con Carne
3 Tbs ancho chili powder toasted
3 Tbs New Mexico chili powder toasted
1 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tsp cumin seeds- toasted & ground
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp coriander seeds toasted & ground

2 onions chopped
2 pounds 85 percent lean ground beef
1 can (28-ounce) diced tomatoes , with juice
1 can (28 ounces) tomato puree
2 cups water
beans as prepared above (or 2 cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed)

Fry onions with oil till translucent and soft. Brown beef over high heat, maintaining largish chunks.
Toast and grind herbs and spices. Stir in the herbs & spices making sure that all the meat is coated. Place in crockpot. Add the tomato diced and pureed, top with 2 cups of water. Allow to simmer 2 hours. Add the beans and allow to simmer another hour or so. If you have time, another round of cooling allows a more cohesive melding and will intensify the flavors. Skim any fat that rises.

Heat and serve with crusty bread, corn bread, dogs. Garnish as appropriate
lime wedges
cilantro sprigs
pickled jalapenos sliced
grated cheese
shredded cabbage