While the beans are simmering, cut the stew meat down to size (remember to cut perpendicular to the "grain", to maximize tenderness) and brown it in a little oil. Let the meat cool. (This is important: I've found that putting just- browned meat into a soup or stew makes it tough, while it's generally better the next day. Letting the meat cool meant that it was wonderfully tender and juicy in the finished chili.)
While the meat is cooling, do the rest of the prep work: peel the garlic, wash the peppers and greens, and so on. At about forty-five minutes, when the beans are still a little crunchy, turn the heat up, to about 4/7ths, and add the juice from the tomato can. Dump the garlic in the cuisinart and chop it up; add the tomatoes, wine, a little oil, peppers, basil, oregano, cumin and salt and puree. When the tomato juice and beans are back at a healthy simmer, add the meat. When this is simmering, add the tomato spice mixture in small enough quantities that the whole thing stays at or near a simmer.
I had planned to let this simmer a while, but I was hungry, so I ate it after the whole thing had been simmering only five or ten minutes. Damn, it was good!
1. You should bring it to the chili cookoff thingy this weekend. [Ultramo]
2. How long did it take you from start to finish? [Oz]
3. Sounds really yummy. I'll try it sometime when I'm in one of m [Variegat]
4. It was pretty good, and chili isn't a favorite. [Zepporah]
5. Yum! Sounds a lot like my chili recipe. Those black beans are [Mike Van]
6. I think I'll make "I can't believe how good this was chili II, the se [Oz]
7. [JJNINC] Real Chili doesn't have beans. [T.S.C.]