Basic Chili
The basic tenents of all cooking is use your taste, your imagination, and what you have on hand. So this recipe, even more so than others, leaves it up to the interpreter as to what they'll add, or not, add to their chili (remember, if you see an amount, in any recipe, that doesn't agree with you, don't do it).
One rule of thumb is, no matter how small you like your meat, don't use fine ground beef; use whole, cut-up chuck steak, or chili-grind beef, it has more "tooth".
Roast the cumin seeds in a pan on the stove; grind in a morter and pestle, set aside.
Combine chili powder, garlic powder, and salt; slice chuck steak horizontally; cut into 1/2 in. cubes, and rub evenly with the spice mixture. Heat a large Dutch oven, add oil, and brown 1/2 the meat at a time, on high heat. Brown second batch of meat, and set both aside; turn heat to medium, and saute the onions and garlic until limp; add the browned meat, and chili powder; stir well. When it is combined, add the oregano, ground cumin seeds, lime juice, beer, and optional tomatoes; stir, cover, and simmer for 2 hours, or so (the longer the better). Add the beans; simmer another 30 minutes, check the seasonings, and serve with extra chili powder and hot sauce.
Optional Ingredients:
1-2 T chopped chipotle chiles, in adobo sauce