World's Best Chili

A bold name to live up to — and this one earns it the honest way, with four different meats. Ground beef gives the backbone, pork adds sweetness, chorizo brings smoky spice and color, and Italian sausage layers in fennel and herbs, so every spoonful has a little more going on than a single-meat chili ever could. A bottle of dark beer cooked into the base adds roasted, malty depth, and a long simmer melts it all into something genuinely complex. It's a bit of a project and a lot of meat — the pot you make when you want to end the "who makes the best chili" argument for good.

This is a rich, meaty pot — set out cheddar, onion, and sour cream and let people dress their own.

A stout or porter deepens it further; a lighter lager keeps it milder. No chorizo? Add extra Italian sausage plus a pinch of smoked paprika. It's even better the next day, and it freezes well — make the whole batch.