ELMCROFT CHILI

Of course it never comes out exactly the same and the "cook" needs to sample it a bit to get it right. It can't be hurried, you have to cook it and cook it and let it stand and then cook it some more!
These are the ingredients;
0.5 to 1.0kg of the leanest ground beef
3 or 4 onions diced into very small squares
2-4 cloves of garlic, your choice
2 tablespoons of olive oil
4 tablespoons of Taco seasoning, use to your taste
2 tablespoons of Cajun spice seasoning, use to your taste
3 tablespoons of lemon juice, use to your taste
3 Bay leaves
2 tablespoons of Nescafe crystals, or equivalent, use to your taste
0.5 litre of water
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1 large can of crushed tomatoes
1 large can of red kidney beans
1 small can of tomato paste.
Cooking method (I suspect you know all this already!)

Chop the onions and place them in a large cook pot in two tablespoons of olive oil. Cook at medium heat until the onions are soft, but not brown. Add one or two highly chopped garlic cloves as the onions are cooking, if desired. Remove all from pot, drain oil and set onions/garlic aside.
Cook ground beef over medium/high heat in the pot until the beef is crumbly and dry. Drain off water and fat. When meat is thoroughly cooked, add half of the seasonings-- Taco, Cajun and Lemon-and stir in well. Cook for a couple of minutes rotating the mix in the pot. Then add all the contents of the crushed tomato and bean cans, using the liquids to give texture. Add back the onions and garlic. Stir strongly and bring the whole mix to the boil (add some water if necessary). When boiling, add in 1tb.of Nescafe and then cover and simmer whole mix at low heat for 30 minutes, stirring often.
Taste test after 30 minutes and add the tomato paste plus more seasonings and salt as required. All together, I usually cook the whole thing very slowly for about 4 hours gradually adding-back water, coffee and seasonings to taste. Keith Hay 3 November, 2002.