l.j's chili con carne y judia

* If plantains are available, don't use the potato or banana...slice the plantain into ¼ inch pieces Cut meat into 1 inch chunks or thereabouts. Let meat soak in a bowl with the tomatoes and juice, lemon juice, mushrooms, black pepper, crushed chilis, diced peppers and onions over night. Remove the meat and brown in a skillet. Takes a while but worth it. In large pot place put all the ingredients except the beans including the above marinade and slow cook for three hours. Next stir in your beans and cook slowly for one more hour. Do not cook with the lid on the pot as the chili will not "thicken". If chili is not thick enough you can add the flour mixed with water.

With the thick "soupy" ring around the pot; stir back into the simmering chili. Serves 10 people with "seconds". You might like the chili hotter or maybe milder, depends on your taste. What ever you do, don't ruin the chili by making it hotter with hot sauces, this has a tendency to make the chili into "superficial" body heat not a deep solid heat.