. Brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium heat; drain off the fat.
2. Using a fork, crumble the cooked beef into pea-size pieces.
3. In a large pot, combine the beef plus all the remaining ingredients, and bring to a simmer over low heat.
4. Cook, stirring every 15 minutes, for 2 to 3 hours.
5. For spicier chili, add ½ teaspoon more black pepper. For much spicier chili, add 1 teaspoon black pepper and a tablespoon cayenne pepper. For super hot spicy, add 5 or 6 sliced jalapeño peppers to the pot.