1 lb ground beef 1 cup chopped onion (optional)

1 clove garlic, minced (optional)

1 tbsp Gebhardt Chili Powder

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp salt

1 (32 oz) jar Picante Sauce (pick your heat – Mild, Medium, Hot)

3 tbsp masa harina or flour (optional)

¼ cup water (optional)

1. In a skillet, brown ground beef, chopped onion (optional), and minced garlic (optional).

2. Combine ground beef mixture, Chili Powder, ground cumin, salt and Picante Sauce in a slow cooker.

3. Set on low and cook for 8 hours, stirring occasionally.

4. For thicker chili (optional), combine masa and water.

4a. Pour mixture evenly over the chili and mix.

4b. Cook for an additional 15 minutes.

So what’s so “German” about Chili?

Chili power was invented by a German Immigrant by the name of William Gebhardt. He developed his mixture of ground chili and spices in a small restaurant in New Braunfels, Texas. Since chiles were only available after the summer harvest, chili was only a seasonal food during that era. Gebhardt solved the problem by importing Mexican ancho chiles, grinding the peppers through a small home meat grinder three times, and then dried the ground pepper into a powder. The resulting mixture could be used to serve Chili year-round. Gebhardt moved to San Antonio in 1890 and registered Eagle Brand Chili Powder in 1896. The Gebhardt brand of chili powder is today regarded by many chili cooks as a premium chili powder and specified by name in their recipes.

This recipe won the 2004 IBM Austin Linux Technology Center chili cook-off.