Dave'S Chili - cooking recipe

Ingredients

3 -4 lbs ground beef
4 tablespoons olive oil
8 cups water
8 -10 dried chili pods
10 garlic cloves, minced
2 bay leaves
3 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon dried onion flakes
2 -4 tablespoons Mexican chili powder (start with 2 and increase to suit your taste buds)
3 tablespoons flour
6 teaspoons cornmeal
1/4 cup water
1 (16 ounce) can dark red kidney beans (more to taste)
1 (15 1/2 ounce) can pinto beans (more to taste)
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can petite cut diced tomatoes (more to taste, Note ( To kick this up a little more use 1 10 oz cans of Rotel)

Preparation

Heat olive oil in a large pot.
Add the hamburger meat (or double ground brisket if using) and brown; drain off excess fat).
Add the minced garlic, 8 cups of water and the dried chili pods and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for an hour.
Remove the chili pods and any stems that may have fallen off the pods.
Add the bay leaves through the Mexican Chili Powder and stir.
To thicken the chili, mix the flour and cornmeal with 1/4 cup of water until smooth, then add to the chili and stir well.
Add the Beans and Tomatoes.
Mix well and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for 1 1/2-2 1/2 hours. The longer it cooks the better it gets. Add a little water as it cooks down. :).
NOTE: If it gets too thick, just add a little water. We serve this with cheddar cheese or chopped onions on top and crackers or cornbread.