Easy Texan chilli con carne for entertaining a crowd – it's warming, fragrant and nutritious

This earthy Texan chilli con carne uses a chili mix you can make yourself if it’s not available in stores. The flavor is fragrant rather than overly hot, but you can adapt it depending on how your friends and family like it. You might want to keep it mild for kids or spice it up for an adult gathering.

Ingredients (Serves 6 – 8)

• 4 tbsp (¼ cup) corn oil
• 1 lb 5 oz (about 1 ⅓ lb) lean beef steak strips (top round, rump, or other braising cut)
• 14 oz (about 1 ¾ cups) ground pork
• 2 medium onions, sliced
• 8 garlic cloves, crushed
• 3 tbsp Texan chili powder (or use 2 tsp chili powder + 1 tsp each dried oregano, ground cumin, ground cloves, and dried onion)
• 2 whole green jalapeño chiles, slit twice
• 2 cans (14 oz each) cherry tomatoes in juice
• 1 small sprig each fresh bay leaf, celery leaves, and parsley
• 2 tbsp dark brown sugar
• 1¼ cups (10 fl oz) beef stock
• 2 cans (14 oz each) mixed beans (borlotti, red kidney) in tomato sauce
• Salt and pepper to taste

The method

• Heat half the oil in a large deep skillet or Dutch oven (we love the Lodge Dutch Oven from Walmart). Sauté steak strips for about 5 minutes until golden. Push them to the edge of the pan.
• Add the remaining oil and ground pork; brown over high heat for 10 minutes.
• Stir in onions, garlic, chili powder, jalapeños, tomatoes, herbs, sugar, and stock. Cover and simmer gently for 30 minutes or longer for deeper flavor.
• Uncover and add beans with their sauce. Taste and season generously with salt and pepper.
• For a milder chili, discard the jalapeños; for a thicker chili, mash some of the beans into the liquid (try this OXO Good Grips masher for non-stick cookware from Amazon). Serve hot with rice and a green salad.

If you want to prep ahead or your short of time you could make this in one of the best slow cookers. And if you're looking for more easy ideas for feeding a crowd, take a look at our feature on what to make in a slow cooker from a trained chef.