Heat the oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat; cook onion and garlic until onions are translucent. This recipe is a Texas chili con carne that nods toward classic, traditional versions, which is to say it’s simply beef (cubed chuck) that’s been slow-braised in a thick soup of dried chilies and crushed tomatoes that’s seasoned with toasted cumin and Mexican oregano.

Pour six tablespoons of the oil into a very large (8 – 12 quart) heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat and when it shimmers, toast the chilies in the oil until fragrant—about 15 seconds per side—and transfer them to the hot beef broth, submerging them beneath the surface.

If you do have time and forethought to soak your beans for any amount of time, it may help reduce the chance that one or two will be slightly undercooked in your bowl (nobody complained, but I had one bite …

Combine the chicken, green chilies, salsa, chicken bouillon, navy beans, and water in a slow cooker. Stir stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce, light red kidney beans, dark red kidney beans, mild salsa, chili seasoning mix, and garlic powder into the beef mixture; bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook at a simmer until the flavors meld, 90 minutes to 2 hours.

Soon his higher-power pork was replaced with carefully sourced goat to honor some anti-swine eating patterns among our growing champion-to-be team and open up the possibility of a chili called Oh My Goat, which fit with the divine inspiration his e-mail had provided for a theme.

With a nutritional mix of lean turkey, beans, veggies, and warm spices like cumin, cayenne, and cinnamon, this comforting soup will actually make you want to get up off that cozy couch to make it. It’s also quite high in potassium, …