I do a half/half mixture of small cubed beef and pork... be sure to use a tougher cut of meat, though, as it's gonna cook for a while. For what it's worth- here's mine:
Ingredients:
2 medium white onions, medium dice
1 red bell pepper, medium dice
1 green pepper, medium dice
1 yellow pepper, medium dice
2 jalepenio peppers, minced
¼ cup oil or bacon fat
3 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons ground coriander
3 tablespoons of flour
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon paprika
1 or 2 chipotle peppers packed in adobo, minced (found in cans in Mexican section) (HOT!!!) Do not rinse.
5 cloves of garlic, smashed
1 1/2 pounds of beef chuck, cut into ½ inch cubes
1 1/2 pounds of pork, cut into ½ inch cubes
1 bottle of good dark beer
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
1 Tbsp. Brown sugar
homemade or canned low sodium chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste
splash of Worcestershire sauce
1 square bakers unsweetened chocolate (I am not joking!!! The Mexicans use it.)
Method:
1. In a heavy pot on medium heat, sauté the onions and peppers in the fat until they begin to soften and smell great ( about 3 min)
2. Add the spices, flour & garlic and continue to cook, stirring constantly for about 1 minute. (This toasts the spices and increases their flavor. It may look like a ruthless paste, don't worry)
3. Add the meat and tomatoes and stir to mix well
4. Add the beer and pour in enough broth to cover the meat by 1 inch
5. Bring to a boil and reduce to a very gentle simmer, simmer for about 2 hours or until the meat is very tender
6. When tender, remove from heat and stir in the chocolate
7. Adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper, TABASCO or any other hot stuff.
Garnishes:
Great with a dollop of sour cream and some chopped onion. Also great with fresh chopped cilantro or scallions. Avoid beans, they take flavor away and make you unpopular. Also great served with rice.
It is very important to use tough, inexpensive cuts of meat like shoulder or chuck. Using tender and expensive meat makes for a terrible chili (make a day ahead if possible)