Patrick's Chili

4-5 dried red chilies (try mixing hot and mild)
3 cups boiling water
1 pound beef round steak or sirloin, cut in 1/2" cubes
1 15-oz. can corn, drained
1 15-oz. can black beans, undrained
1 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes
1 8-oz. can tomato sauce
1 large onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons (really!) ground cumin

The night before: Place chilies in a 4-cup measuring cup (or similar bowl). Cover completely with boiling water. Use a small bowl of water to weight the chilies down and keep them submerged. Let sit overnight.

In the morning:Remove the stems from the chilies and place chilies in a blender. Add about 1/4 cup of the soaking water and blend into a thin paste. Add to crockpot with remaining ingredients. Stir. Cook on LOW 7-8 hours. Makes 10 cups. Serve with tortilla chips.

Note: I used two different kinds of chilies for this dish: Onza Rojas and New Mexico Chilies. I bought these at a Mexican grocery store, where I asked the owner for New Mexico chilies, which are mild, and something hotter than New Mexico chilies. He gave me the Onza Rojas. You could also try Chicostle, which are medium, chipotles, which are hot and smoky, or guajillos, which are medium. If you use chipotles, I recommend cutting back on the cumin. For great information on dried red chilies, go to Cook's Thesaurus: Dried Chilies.