Wild Bill's World-Famous Indiana Red Chili with an Attitude

½ tablespoon sugar

¾ cup beer

¾ cup water

3 cups tomato sauce

6 cups diced tomatoes

6 cups cooked dark red kidney beans with broth

1¼ cups diced onions

Ø cup diced green bell pepper

In a large, heavy pot, heat the oil over medium heat and brown the meat.

In a medium bowl, mix the spices, salt, sugar, beer and water together, then add to the pot with the meat. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce, tomatoes, beans and broth, onions and bell pepper; simmer 4 hours, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.

Place the chili pot into an ice bath to cool. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Before serving, remove the film of oil floating on top of the chili and discard. Reheat the chili and serve.

Serves 12.

Test kitchen note: This chili turned out thick and meaty, with very little sauce. We recommend serving it over elbow macaroni.

Nutrition values per serving: 490 calories, 23 g fat (7 g saturated), 31 g carbohydrates, 11 g fiber, 38 g protein, 90 mg cholesterol, 1010 mg sodium.

"Killer Chili" by Stephanie Anderson (2007 Chronicle, $16.95)