Billowing Smoke!

I sent PreT-1 to brown hamburger to make chili for dinner. I said, "I already put the pot on the stove and turned it on, but I need you to run and start it for me." She went to the kitchen and I finished the phone call I was taking. She came to me a few minutes later and said, "The hamburger is done, what should I do next?" I told her to open the cans of tomato sauce and beans and told her to dump them in the pot with the meat. She looked confused and said, "really?" I asked what the problem was, and she said the pot wasn't big enough. That's wierd, I'm thinking, that pot is a VAT. How can it not be big enough. But I'm feeling suspicious, so I follow her into the kitchen. No real problem, she browned the meat in a small frying pan instead of the pot I had out. So, I took the pan of hamburger and dumped the contents into the big pot. BIG MISTAKE! I'd forgotten the pot was on. It was very hot and it's a very good pan, with a thick bottom which retains heat WELL. When the meat hit the pan, suddenly there was Billowing Smoke! Lots of it! Billowing! And SMOKY! I ran with the pot out the back door onto the deck and hollered at Pre-T-1 (who's mouth was hanging open) to grab the lid. She came to her senses and brought the lid which I clapped onto the pan. (Thank heaven none of the neighbors called the fire department...I mean the Smoke was Billowing!) I salvaged as much of the hamburger as I could, but the chili had a sort of burnt taste. Although TGH was the only one who really noticed. The kids gobbled it up so quickly, I doubt they realized it WAS chili, let alone burnt. There's also a small burnt spot on the deck...it's supposed to snow tomorrow, so we won't worry about that now. It really is an excellent chili recipe, although I doubt any of you would make it, given the negative press I have provided. Maybe later. Much, much later. After I get the burnt smell out of the curtains.