Melt the lard in a large, heavy pot. Add the beef and sausage, and cook until about half done. Add the onions and garlic, and cook until the onions are transparent, and the meat is nicely browned. Add the dry spices, and cook, stirring, until they develop a fragrance.

Important - do not drain off the fat at this point. We'll get rid of it later, but it is a flavor carrier, and needed for a while.

Add the tomato paste, beef bouillon cubes, and beer, and enough water to barely cover the mixture. Cover, and simmer on lowest possible heat, until the meat is tender (2-3 hours). Stir frequently, and add additional water or beer as needed to keep the mixture from burning.

At this point, and in an ideal world, you would refrigerate the chili overnight to develop flavors and let the excess fat rise to the top. If you absolutely can't wait, skim off as much fat as possible from the surface of the mixture. If you have developed the virtue of patience, lift the fat off the mixture and return the pot to the fire, bringing it up to a slow simmer before continuing.

Mix the masa or cornmeal with an equal quantity of water, and add to the mixture. Stir, and simmer another half hour or so, stirring frequently, and adding additional liquid if the mixture seems too thick.

Adjust the seasonings, adding salt (for my taste it shouldn't need much) and white pepper (which doesn't contain capsicum, but will give the chili a bit of a "bite") to taste.

If you absolutely must have beans in your chili, please, please, cook them separately, according to your favorite recipe, and spoon them into the bowl, then spoon the chili on top of 'em and mix. (You could even do this with heated canned beans, just don't tell me about it ;-)

If you decide to try this, let me know how it turns out. My head says it should be pretty good, if mild, chili.

Kathy in Bryan, Tx