Gluten-Free Crockpot Chili

1 lb ground grass-fed beef
1 medium chopped onion
1 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes
6 oz salsa ( 1/2 a jar)
*3 cups of cooked black and/or pinto beans
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1- 1 1/2 tsp cayenne or chili powder
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp red chili flakes
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp sea salt
Optional: 1-2 c frozen corn

*You can certainly use canned beans in this recipe but using dry beans that you soak is cheaper and will make them much easier to digest and more nutritional.  It will also make your chili fart-proof!

*1) 12-24 hrs before I make my chili, I soak my beans. To soak you beans, place your dry kidney, pinto or black beans in a glass or stainless steel bowl and cover with filtered water. Your dry beans will make about 3x the amount of cooked beans, so for this recipe, I soak 1 c of dried beans. Make sure to cover with at least 3-4 inches of water because the beans will expand.  Then add 1 T of raw apple cider vinegar or lemon juice. Cover your bowl and let is sit for 12-24 hours.
2) When you are ready to make your chili (I usually put mine in the crockpot before bed), strain your soaked beans and put them in a pot on the stove with fresh water. Bring to a boil and then let beans simmer for 45 minutes or so.  While you are cooking the beans, brown your ground beef in a skillet with a bit of oil or lard. 
3) Once the beans and beef are ready, add them to your crockpot, along with your tomatoes, chopped onion, and spices.  For a soupier chili, add some extra water to the crockpot.  
4) Set the crockpot on low for 8 hrs and wakeup to a delicious, warm chili and an amazing smelling kitchen. I usually eat my chili with cornbread, rice or tortilla chips.  Enjoy!