Ultimate Ground Beef Chili

1 pound lean ground beef
Salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste
3 onions, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and minced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and minced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 serrano pepper, seeded and finely chopped
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons dried oregano
12 ounces dark or light beer
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
8 sun-dried tomatoes, (not packed in oil), diced into small pieces
2 bay leaves
4 15-ounce cans dark kidney beans, rinsed
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons lime juice

1. Brown the ground beef with salt and pepper over medium-high heat.
2. Reduce heat to medium and add onions and bell peppers; cook, stirring frequently, until onions are golden brown, 10 to 20 minutes. Add garlic, jalapenos, cumin, chili powder, paprika and oregano. Stir until aromatic, about 2 minutes.
3. Add beer and simmer, scraping up any browned bits, for about 3 minutes. Add diced tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, bay leaves. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
4. Add beans; cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until chili has thickened, 30 to 45 minutes. Remove bay leaves. Stir in cilantro and lime juice. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Note: Be careful when mincing the chili peppers. Try not to get the pepper oils on your hands and do not breath the fumes.

Number of Servings: 12

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user TXTITA.