Cast, in order of appearance:

2 lb. black beans, dry 2 lb. red kidney beans, dry 8 cloves garlic, or about 1/2 - 1 cup precooked in a jar 4 large onions About 4 oz olive oil or butter 4 red bell peppers 15 - 20 fresh jalapeno peppers Habanero peppers (to "taste") Any other peppers that amuse you, to about 4 lbs total

About 4 lbs of tomatoes, fresh or canned (diced, crushed, or whole peeled) 4 lbs top round steak 2 tsp cumin - about 1/3 to 1/2 of a small container A few cans of tomato paste for thickening 4 - 6 tsp salt (to taste)

Hardware:
16 quart stockpot with lid
Large skillet, ideally with draining implement
Nice sharp chef's knife
Big spoon for stirring
Something to toss the steak around with
3 - 4 quart container to soak beans
Colander

Soak beans - overnight in cold water or one hour in boiled water.

(Dice and marinate steak, if desired.)

Chop and brown garlic, if using fresh.

Note: if you like a crunchy, fresh onion and/or pepper aspect to your chili, add them very late in the simmering process.

Chop onions and add to 16 quart stockpot with garlic, saute in oil or butter until translucent.

Chop peppers and add to pot, lower heat to a high simmer.

Add tomato to pot, as cans, as fresh and chopped, whatever works for you.

Slice and dice steak to 1/2" cubes, brown in manageable batches with cumin and add to pot.
Note: if some vegetarian chili is desired, leave out the steak until near the end of the simmering and remove as much as needed.

By now the beans are ready, so drain and rinse them and add to the pot. Mix thoroughly.

Use the tomato paste to thicken as desired.

Simmer and stir occasionally, adding salt to taste.

The chili should be ready to eat in about an hour. I like to simmer it overnight and then portion it for the freezer.

Serve with shredded cheese, saltines, corn chips, fresh chopped onions, corn bread, or in taco shells, as desired.

Makes roughly four 72 ounce teenage servings to eighteen one pound adult servings.

Note: To increase alarm level (heat), substitute more jalapeno peppers for some of the red pepper, and/or make sure to use habanero (or other very hot) peppers. For "zero alarm," use no hot peppers. For "one alarm," use six to eight jalapenos. For "two alarm," double the jalapenos or add one (just one!) habanero. "Three alarm" uses more habaneros. I'm not sure habaneros are truly hot enough for "four alarm" chili. I think, actually, "four alarm" chili is sort of like absolute zero - you can only get close. As close as you can get, theoretically you can always go further. At some point you won't really have made food, it will be something more like paint stripper.

Here are some photographs I took during one "chili-a-thon".

January 29, 2012:

Top round steak	Approx. 4 lbs	$16.13
Red sweet (bell) pepper	4	3.24
Stem cluster tomato	1.35 lb	2.69
Italian (sweet) pepper	0.46 lb	.78
Habanero pepper	pkg of 6, used 4	1.15
Serrano hot pepper	package (about 6)	.97
Jalapeno hot pepper	package (about 10)	.94
Sweet onion	3.12 lb (4)	2.78
Ginger root	pkg of 2, used 1	.68
Ground cumin	jar/3.99, used 1/3	1.34
Red kidney bean	2 lb (dry)	2.99
Black trtl bean	2 lb (dry)	2.29
Diced tomato	28 oz	1.59
Tomato paste	3 x 12 oz	3.57
Boiled whole tomato	12 oz	1.29
Grand total	Couple gallons	about $40.00
Garlic	1 bulb	on hand

Yield: 2 veggie and 15 meat servings

January 6, 2017:

Top round steak	Approx. 4 lbs	$16.66
Red bell pepper	4 (2.5 lb)	6.10
Italian (sweet) pepper	0.22 lb	.37
Habanero pepper	(none available)
Anaheim hot pepper	package (3)	1.91
Jalapeno pepper	about 20 (1.68 lb)	4.18
Sweet onion	4.31 lb (4)	4.27
Ground cumin	jar/3.99, used 1/3	1.34
Red kidney bean	2 lb (dry)	3.29
Black turtle bean	2 lb (dry)	2.49
Diced tomato	2 x 28 oz	1.98
Tomato paste	3 x 12 oz	3.57
Grand total	10 qts - 2 1/2 gallons	about $44.00
Garlic	About 8 tsp	on hand

Yield: 18 roughly 18 oz servings