Spicy Chili Made With Pork

Normally, chili is made with beef (chopped, ground, chunky) but this is made with ground pork. Give it a try and if you find that, although you like hot and spicy foods,  it gets too much, try a spoonful of sugar or a bit of salt and lime juice for fast relief. Besides, the heat of chilies only lasts 6 minutes. True!

This is a great meal for hockey watching nights or just for a comfy family time meal.

• 1  1/2 lbs. ground pork
• 1 large white onion, chopped
• 1 large red bell pepper, seeds removed
• 1 large green pepper, chopped, seeds removed
• 4-5 large white mushrooms, ends trimmed, and sliced
• 1 cup celery, sliced in 1/2 inch pieces
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cans diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 small can tomato paste
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup  Chardonnay wine
• 3 tsp. brown sugar
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp. Worchestershire sauce
• 2 tsp. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 4-6 drops of hot pepper sauce

Start this earlier in the day and in a large skillet, brown the pork and onions, until pork is no longer pink.

Add the peppers, celery and cook for about 5 minutes until peppers are tender. Add the garlic and mushrooms and cook for another minute.

Add the remaining ingredients, reduce the temperature to a simmer and cook for an  hour on a medium heat, stirring often. Turn off the heat. Set aside.

Take a taste test and adjust the ‘heat’ if you wish. As it rests, it will  thicken up. If you want a thinner consistency, just add a small amount of water.

Before dinner, reheat the chili and spoon over a bowl of steamed white rice or broad noodles if you prefer. Add a bowl of sour cream and grated cheddar cheese to be used as a garnish.