Glen`s "Green Floater" Chili

3 pounds lean ground beef

2 pounds lean steak -- cut in 1/4" cubes

2 tablespoons garlic -- minced

2 large yellow onions -- coarsely chopped

3 large bell peppers -- coarsely chopped

4 large tomatoes -- coarsely chopped

1 pound fresh or canned mushrooms -- sliced thick

50 seranno chiles -- whole, stemmed

25 jalapeno chiles -- whole, stemmed

2 cans (28-oz) whole tomatoes -- chopped

12 tablespoons chili powder -- (one 4.5 oz jar)

2 tablespoons ground cumin -- (comino)

2 tablespoons ground oregano

1 tablespoon ground paprika

1 tablespoon ground red pepper

1/2 tablespoon ground marjoram

1 tablespoon salt

3 cans (23-oz) ranch style beans

(these are pinto beans) 3 cans (15-oz) dark red kidney beans -- drained

3 cans (15-oz) light red kidney beans -- drained

Start browning the meat in a LARGE pot. Add the garlic. Start chopping the vege tables in the order listed and add to the pot as you chop them. Stir after each addition. Add the peppers whole. DO NOT CUT UP! If you do, the chili will be b rutally hot! Add in the juice from the canned tomatoes, and add the chopped can ned tomatoes. Simmer all this for 2-3 hours. Add in the beans. Simmer another 3 0 minutes to heat the beans and serve. This is best made the day before, refrig erated, and then reheated before serving. Serve the chile and add a "floater" o r two for those who like their food hot.

NOTE: If you get to some point in adding ingredients that your pan starts to ov erflow, divide what you have into two pans, then split the remaining ingredient s between the pots.

HINT: Adjust seasonings to your liking. Adding more ground red pepper will make it hotter. Adding more whole chiles will not make the chili itself any more ho tter, but you sure will have more "green floaters"!

BEWARE: You can use other chiles that what I listed, but be very careful that t he ones you use do not have thin skins or they will break apart during cooking and cause the chile to be very hot! The large green chiles are not well suited for this, as their skins are too tough! Besides they are mild!

My personal creation, from times in the "Land of the Morning Calm" where we lu cky to get fresh jalapenos in the Army Commissary, and when the Serranos hit! Oh boy, what a special day! That`s the only kind of hot chiles we ever got! And before you purists flame me, yeah, it`s got beans in it! That`s only to make it go further--there wasn`t any choice, we were rationed as to the number of pa ckages of meat one could purchase per day to 3! So I had to add some beans to g et it to stretch and feed a party crowd!

Glen G. Hosey Springfield, VA, USA

Busted by Christopher E. Eaves <[email protected]>