What makes chili great?

[kevwr1962]

What ingredients/flavor profiles do you think makes a great chili?

I'm not a fan of chili that tastes too much like tomatoes. I will usually simmer my tomato base with a little beef stock and spices several hours to get rid of the raw tomato taste before adding my beef and beans (if I add beans). I like to smoke the beef or add a little liquid smoke to give my chili a little "cooking around the campfire" essence.