I don't always make chilli this way, but this version came out particularly well. For variations on this recipe, see Parameterised Chilli.

Serves six very hungry people.

To cook this, you'll need a large pan with a lid (mine's a beaten-up Le Creuset), a good sharp chopping knife and board, a garlic press (or a lot of patience if you want to chop it by hand), a pepper grinder, and something to stir the chilli with. Our hob controls are labelled from 1 to 6, so I'll give heat directions in terms of that.

Notes before we start: whenever you stir this, make sure you scrape off anything that's stuck to the bottom of the pan. (Probably the kidney beans if you use cheap ones like I do.)

Put enough olive oil in the pan to entirely cover the base, and turn the heat up to 5. Rinse the kidney beans, add to the oil, and stir. Chop two onions into thin strips and dice the other two, add to the pan, and stir. Cut the chilli peppers in half lengthways, then chop them into little strips crosswise (don't worry if you end up with the odd big bit of chilli left over; this isn't a problem). Peel the garlic and crush it into the pan. Grind some black pepper into the pan, stir it all together, and let it cook for a few minutes until the onions are translucent. (You may like to add a little water to stop the onions and beans sticking to the pan.)

Add all the remaining ingredients (plus some extra water so that everything's covered) and stir well, then turn the heat up to 6 and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chilli is bubbling. Now turn the heat down to 3, put the lid on the pan (to stop any more water from evaporating), and cook for at least another 40 minutes; the longer the better, really. Lift the lid and stir every 20 minutes or so.

Serve with long-grain rice and grated mature Cheddar cheese.