Sear the meat in a large skillet or saucepan with the garlic. Drain off fat. Add tomato sauce, drained RoTel or half a jar of salsa. Add the water or a half-bottle of beer. Stir in all of the Wick Fowler’s package ingredients except the red pepper and masa. Depending on the level of spiciness you desire, leave out the red pepper entirely or stir it in to taste. (Amy finds it overpowering.) For a deeper “kick,” add jalapeños or serranos to taste. Add the onion. Cover the skillet or saucepan and simmer 30 minutes (longer for a spicier flavor) or until the meat is tender. Add the remainder of the beer or water and continue to cook the chili until some of the liquid burns off. If the chili seems soupy or if you like a thicker chili, stir the masa flour into ¼ cup warm water and pour it into the chili. Or, in place of masa, Amy likes to crumble tortilla chips and cook them into the chili to thicken it. Simmer another 15 to 20 minutes. Add a pinch of sugar to enhance the flavor ("a trick I learned from my Nanny, who was the best cook I have ever known," Amy says.) The chili is best after simmering or sitting for several hours.