All American Chili

Ingredients

• 6 ounces chorizo
• 1 pound lean ground beef or ground venison
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped green pepper
• 8 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeño pepper or poblano pepper, chopped
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 1/4 cups Merlot wine
• 2 (28-ounces) cans whole tomatoes, undrained and coarsely chopped
• 2 (15-ounces) cans kidney beans, drained
• 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese