A crowd-pleaser from chef Reyna Larson
Warming up with rich, hearty chili is one of winter’s finest traditions. And you won’t find a more satisfying bowl than at Ray & Al’s Lunchroom in tiny Galien.
We asked Reyna Larson—the Ray half of the operation, as well as the chef—for her diner-style recipe. She generously shared it with us, along with her tips. Tip #1: Don’t take it too seriously.
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I find there’s a lot of flexibility in this recipe, which makes it fun. I’m tired of fighting with people about beans in chili. I love beans and will use a variety of them whenever possible. If you don’t love beans (weirdo), just add extra meat and ditch ’em.
I’d also love to tell you how many people this recipe serves, but I have no idea. I make it in big batches and don’t keep written recipes. I’m also quite bad at knowing how much will serve how many, and so forth. Seems like that would make me a bad candidate for owning a restaurant. But here I am. Somehow I figure it out, and so will you. And when you do, be sure to stop in and let me know.
DINER CHILI
Ingredients
Olive oil for sautéing veggies (3 tbsp? 6 tbsp?)
2 green bell peppers, diced
2 red bell peppers, diced
1 poblano pepper, diced
1-2 jalapeno peppers, diced
2 onions, diced
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbsp ground cumin (to start)
1 tbsp ground chipotle powder (to start)
1 tsp Mexican oregano
2 ½ lbs ground sirloin
Salt and fresh ground pepper
1 can or bottle of your favorite beer (Unless your favorite beer is lite. In that case, throw it out and find one with flavor.)
2-28 oz cans diced tomato
1 cup beef stock (Chicken stock will also do the trick.)
6-15 oz cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
Directions
1. Sauté onions, peppers, and garlic in olive oil until they soften.
2. Add ground sirloin, breaking the meat apart as it cooks.
3. Drain the fat and return to the pot.
4. Add chipotle, cumin, oregano, and a good amount of salt and pepper until fully incorporated.
5. Cook on low for a few minutes.
6. Add the bottle of beer. (Or two if you’d like to pour yourself a glass. A bottle and a half works well, too.)
7. Add diced tomato, stock, and beans. Then stir.
I cook this slowly for about two hours, stirring frequently and adjusting seasoning to taste as I go. Then I have nine more people taste it because I’m insecure. At the end, I almost always end up throwing some crushed red pepper in.
Now invite some friends over for a casual dinner. But not too many because we’re not sure how many it serves yet, remember? And if for any reason the chili doesn’t turn out to your liking, order a pizza and tell them Ray & Al’s sent you.
words Reyna Larson
images Wesley Moguel
January 2026
VISIT RAY & AL'S LUNCHROOM
Ray & Al’s Lunchroom
118 N Cleveland Avenue
Galien, MI 49113
269.545.9018
