I love chilli con carne for any season. The great thing about it is you can make up a huge batch, and it will last all week, getting better even as the flavours mature in the fridge.
Heat olive oil and butter in a casserole pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and soften for a few minutes before pouring them into a bowl and setting to one side. Return the pan to heat. Toss the beef mince in the seasoned flour and add to the pan, ramping up the heat. Fry hard until browned on all sides. Lower the heat back to medium, then add the onions and garlic to the pan.
Add all the rest of the ingredients for the chilli, including all the liquid the kidney beans came in and another glassful of water (I usually refill the kidney bean tin once empty with water and chuck that in). Stir well. Decrease the heat and simmer gently for a good hour to 90 minutes, stirring occasionally. Don’t worry if some of the mixture starts to stick to the bottom; scrape it with a wooden spoon and mix in; it will add to the flavour. The liquid should thicken and turn a rich, deep burgundy colour. I serve mine with jacket potatoes, cheddar cheese, sour cream and chopped coriander.