The Neptune Warrior

( I have promised a few people this recipe so here it is!)

This is one of my favorite events. Our annual Christmas party. The night is for good friends and family to gather around the bonfire, share stories, a few get awarded their dive jacket. We usually have an ornament exchange. People bring their chairs to sit by the fire, carry a bundle of fire wood to contribute to the flame (there is a symbology here), and a sharable snack (not a main course).

The feature of the gathering is a recipe that has been in my family forever. “Dad’s Christmas Eve Chili”. I get get asked all the time for the recipe and if its ok to have it. Its not “Holiday Chili”, its not “Winter Festival Chili”, its Christmas Eve Chili. Can you have the recipe? Absolutely,I want this to live on and the problem with family secrets is when the family dies off or the making of the recipe dies off, the recipe is lost forever. I want this to live on! There are just four rules:

• Don’t make it for an event I’m bringing it to
• Don’t profit off it
• Think of my Dad who passed it down to me and all the others in my small clan that came before.
• Don’t call it yours

• 3 medium onion chopped
• 3 gloves garlic
• 3 lbs of ground beef (extra lean)
• 1 16 oz tomatos diced
• 1 8 oz toamato sauce
• 1 tble spoon chili powder
• 1 tble spoon oregano powder
• 1 tble spoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon cayane
• 1 qt water

This serves 6-8 people and I do mine 3-4x

Simmer minimum 2-3 hours, I do mine for 6-8

Listen to the podcast for how I actually cook mine since I’m doing 3-4 times this amount.

I have some variations and tips and tricks as to how I do it.