I've been attempting to make my venison chili recipe with beef. I've used only half the meat the recipe calls for. Once I realized that screw up, I thought it was not going to come out good, but I kept on cooking it. There were other small deviations from that recipe. In the end, I don't know what particular change to attribute it to, but this beef chili has turned out to be spectacular. The tomatoes have broken down to give it this sweetness that just made it super delicious. In my wife's words, "We were throwing it in our mouths as if we had not eaten in a week."

1. 2 large chopped yellow onions, in a stock pot, with small amount of olive oil. Cook until they start turning brown.
2. Throw a large handful of cumin seeds into the cooking onions.
3. As onions are nearing completion of their cooking, in a frying pan brown the beef. I used 1.2 lb of 93% ground beef (7% fat). I salted and peppered the beef. After it's browned, put it in with the onions. 
4. Deglaze the frying pan with dry white vermouth and add to the onions pot.
5. Add one can of the Hunt's tomato sauce (about 15 oz, 425 g)
6. Add one 28 oz (794 g) can of Hunt's canned tomatoes (sauce too! Don't throw away the sauce!). I work through the tomatoes to remove the butts.
7. 1 tea spoon of ginger paste.
8. 1 table spoon of garlic paste.
9. A generous splash of Italian (chianti) red wine vinegar. I'd guess 1-1.5 oz.
10. A generous shake of black pepper.
11. While I salted the ground beef, I did not add any more salt to the chili.
12. 1 tea spoon of Spanish smoky paprika.
13. 1 tea spoon of ground cumin.
14. 1/3 tea spoon of chili powder.
15. 1/4 tea spoon of ground chipotle powder.
16. Simmer uncovered at the small flame until liquid reduces.
17. Once the chili starts to stick to the bottom of the pan, cover and cook at the smallest possible fire.
18. Total cooking time is 2.5 hours.
19. At the end add just the beans from 2 cans of dark red kidney beans. Discard the bean can fluid.

This chili was truly so good, I could eat it with a spoon out of a bowl. Cold. Normally I would serve it in nachos.

This is the recipe that started it all.

1. 2-3 large yellow onions, chopped, sauteed in the stock pot. Cook them for a while at low, let them really caramelize. Easy on oil.
2. To cooking onions add a generous handful of cumin seed.
3. In a large skillet brown 2-3 pounds of ground venison, elk, or lean beef. Add into the pot.
4. Pour 3/4 of a cup of white dry vermouth.
5. A large can of Italian peeled tomatoes, including the juice.
6. A can of tomato sauce.
7. A tea spoon of Indian ginger paste.
8. A large table spoon of Indian garlic paste.
9. Black pepper.
10. I don't put salt in the chili. I think tomatoes have enough salt.
11. Ground cumin to taste.
12. Chili powder to taste.
13. A splash of Italian white wine vinegar.
14. Cook for 2 hours on gentle simmer.
15. After chili is cooked, turn off the flame and add 2 cans of dark red kidney beans.