Cincinnati Chili

Ingredients:

1 T olive oil 2 medium onions, finely chopped 4 cloves garlic (optional), finely minced – (I always put in. I use the big cloves. Cloves are the individual sections of a garlic bulb.) 2 pounds lean ground beef – I use ground chuck 4 cups beef broth – I make using 1 t beef soup base per cup of water 1 15-oz. can tomato sauce 1 t ground allspice Following ingredients used to make a paste and then added 3 T chili powder ½ t cayenne, or more if you like it hotter – I use the ½ t 1 t cumin seeds, freshly roasted in small skillet and ground – I usually just use it from the jar 1 t flour 2 T water 1 bay leaf ¼ t ground cloves 2 T white or cider vinegar – I use white vinegar ½ oz. unsweetened chocolate Salt, if desired – I never add Spaghetti (I use vermicelli or thin spaghetti), chopped onions, cheese (I used to use cheddar, but switched to American blended with something else) and oyster crackers

---

Instructions:

In a covered medium (4-quart) saucepan, sweat onions (this means saute them with the cover on) and garlic in oil over medium heat until soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. With a slotted spoon lift out the onions and set aside Drop meat into the saucepan and cook over medium heat until all the redness is gone and the meat is a light brown, about 6 minutes. (At this point should probably drain the meat. The recipe doesn’t call for it, but have found sometimes chili will have a layer of grease on top if didn’t drain.) Break up the meat with a wooden spoon to assure that it is thoroughly cooked. Add the cooked onions and garlic to the meat and stir well to mix. Add the beef broth, tomato sauce and allspice. Cook over low heat, barely simmering, for about ½ hour. Make a thin paste with the chili powder, cayenne, freshly ground cumin, 1-teaspoon flour and about 2 tablespoons of water. The chili puree or paste in this form makes it easier to control the amount of hot stuff to be added. Begin with 2 tablespoons of the chili paste mixed into the saucepan, and stir to blend it well. Taste. Add more by the single tablespoon until the desired seasoning is reached. (I just add it all at once.) Add bay leaf, ground cloves, vinegar, chocolate and salt, to taste. Cover and cook over low heat for at least 1 hour. Some Cincinnati cooks let the pot simmer for up to 3 hours. But don’t let it turn into a solid before adding more beef stock or water. Taste and test one more time and correct seasoning to suit the tongue and the occasion. Serve chili in heated bowls – and pass saltines. Or, as in Cincinnati, layer spaghetti, chili, onions, cheese and oyster crackers. (For each addition ordered in Cincinnati they used to call it 2-way, 3-way, 4-way, up to 5-way. The only ingredient not mentioned in this recipe is beans for the? -way. We’ve been gone too long to remember which “way” was what ingredient.) Cincinnati Chili Serves 4 (or 8 over spaghetti)

---

Notes: log in to add a new Note!

---

---