Chili con Carne 1-2 pounds of meat (ground beef, machaca, ground turkey, whatever) cooked 2 cups (1 pound) dry beans (pinto, red kidney, black, whatever) 2 bay leaves 4 teaspoons cumin seeds 4 teaspoons dried oregano leaves 4 teaspoons Hungarian sweet paprika 4 teaspoons ancho chile powder 3 tablespoons oil 3 medium yellow onions, diced 4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped (2 cubes) 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 15 oz cans diced tomatoes 1 teaspoon powdered epazote (no big stems) oil salt and pepper to taste BEANS Sort through the beans and remove any small stones. Put beans in pressure cooker. Add water to 1/2 way up the cooker then 1/2 cup more. Then add bay leaf, epazote, salt and a tablespoon of oil. Put the lid on the cooker, remove the weight, turn the heat on high and set a timer for 8 minutes. When the timer sounds, make sure it is mostly steam coming out. Then put on the weight and watch for the pot to come up to pressure. When it does, turn the burner down to medium-low (NOT low!) and set the timer for 25 minutes if cooking black beans, or 35 minutes for all other kinds. When the timer goes off, turn the burner off and let the beans sit until the pot is cool. Drain, reserving the liquid and discarding the bay leaf. CHILI Prep the onions and garlic. In a thick-bottomed soup pot, add two tablespoons of oil, onions and 1 bay leaf and cook until the onions are soft. Heat a small saucepan (ideally copper) over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds, and when they begin to color, add the oregano leaves, shaking the pan frequently so the herbs don't scorch. As soon as the fragrance is strong and robust, remove the pan from the heat and then add the paprika. Give everything a quick stir, then remove from the pan - the paprika only needs a few seconds to toast. Grind and sift the roasted spices. Add ground spices and ancho chile powder to onion mix. Then add the garlic, stirring to combine. Then add tomatoes. Simmer everything together while the beans finish cooking. When the beans are ready, add the beans and meat and stir to combine. Add the bean cooking liquid. If necessary, add water just to cover. On the lowest burner set to its lowest temperature (so the flame just barely doesn't go out) and using the diffuser, cook the pot of chile con carne an hour or more. Then taste and correct seasonings as desired.