This recipe was one my Grandpa Clarke had in his locker at Summit Golf course for years in the former Canal Zone.

I don't know if he ever made it, but I took it home to our West Indian maid, Amarith, on Mango Street who made it for us. I remember the problem finding the cumin seeds and a mortar and pestle. It turned out Great!

I have since won several chili contests with my wife's recipe which also features fresh ground cumin. This is game chili, but you can replace with grass fed beef or, I assume, buffalo meat.

INGREDIENTS

2 pounds game meat (venison, conejo, or panamanian beef)
2 pounds pork (javilina or fresh pork)
2 tablespoons lard
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 teaspoon freshly ground cumin seeds
3-4 bay leaves whole
2 teaspoons fresh oregano
1 medium onion (see Note 2)
4 cloves of garlic
16 tablespoons (1 cup) chili pepper crushed to pulp (see Note 1)
1 quart fresh ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 cup kidney beans, cooked
4 oz salt pork for cooking beans

1. Cube meat in 1/2 inch cubes.
2. Dip tomatoes in boiling water, drop in cold water to loosen skin and peel.
3. Peel and crush the garlic cloves.
4. Measure and prepare all other ingredients.
5. You may mix the cumin, bay leaves, oregano, salt, and pepper in a single container.

6. In a large camp pot, heat the lard over a medium-high heat. Cook onions until transparent and beginning to brown. Crush the garlic and quickly stir in. For using chili paste, add the chili paste NOW and stir into onions and garlic.

7. Add the meat and brown. Add chopped tomatoes. For using chili pulp, add NOW and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

8. Add cumin, bay leaves, oregano, salt, and pepper and simmer with a cover for 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Stir regularly to avoid drying out or scorching; add water if too dry but don't thin out.

9. You may add cooked beans to pot and stir in just before serving or put beans in the serving bowl and top with steaming chili.

10.Remove bay leaves when serving or for storing

Note 1: Paste. You may replace crushed chili pepper with a paste made from 8 tablespoons of chili powder mixed with 2 tablespoons of flour. Before using add enough cool water to make a paste. *USE PULP OR PASTE; NOT BOTH*

Note 2: You may replace medium onions with one half cup of spring or wild onion whites, split lengthwise, and chopped in 1/2 inch sections

1. Soak dried kidney beans overnight in water.
2. Drain, and add 4 oz of salt pork, a pinch of fresh or ground oregano, and fresh water to cover.
3. Simmer until beans are tender; 2 to 3 hours over low-heat.
4. Drain and salt to taste before serving.