Chili Con Carne

1 cup dried kidney beans (or mixed dried beans)
oil
800g lean minced beef
1 large onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
6 skinned, deseeded tomatoes (or one can peeled tomatoes in juice)
1 bayleaf
150ml red wine
salt and pepper
chili powder

Soak the beans in plenty cold water overnight. Next day drain, add fresh water and simmer until tender - about an hour, adding salt during the last 15 minutes.

Meanwhile brown the meal in oil then add the onion and pepper and saute until soft. Add the tomatoes, bayleaf and wine. Season with salt and pepper and add chili powder. The amount of chili you put in will depend on whether or not you have an asbestos mouth. I prefer to work on a heat that I can handle and pass round bottled chili sauce for those who like it skin blistering hot. Simmer for around 45 minutes then add the cooked beans and simmer another 10 minutes. If you want to prepare the dish ahead, do it up to the stage before the beans are added. If you prefer, canned kidney beans can be substituted. Remove the bayleaf before serving.