Cincinnati Chili
Cincinnati chili is a regional style of chili con carne characterized by the use of seasonings such as cinnamon, cloves, allspice or chocolate. It is commonly served over spaghetti and is normally of a thin, sauce-like consistency, served with oyster crackers to absorb the sauce. We like our chili thicker so while my recipe tastes the same it is a different consistency and we don't use the crackers. For those who like a thinner sauce - add more liquid. For those who like a bolder taste - add a little more of each spice - just keep the proportions the same. Cincinnati chili is served 5 Ways:
Bowl: chili in a bowl
Two-way: chili and spaghetti
Three-way: chili, spaghetti, and cheese
Four-way: chili, spaghetti, cheese, and either onions or beans
Five-way: chili, spaghetti, cheese, onions, and beans
Ingredients
Chili Ingredients:2 pounds lean ground beef
1 quart water
2 onions, chopped (2 cups)
1 (12 ounce) can tomato paste (for thinner sauce use tomato sauce or more water)
1 1/2 Tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 Tablespoons chili powder (I add an additional 1 Tbsp Hot chili powder)
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 bay leaves (optional but I like them)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 (1 ounce) square unsweetened chocolate (or 7 dark chocolate Hershey kisses)
Additional Ingredients for serving:
12 ounces cooked spaghetti
1 19 -ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
Chopped raw onion
1 pound grated cheddar cheese
Oyster crackers
Instructions
1.Brown ground beef in large pot. Drain excess fat. Add 1 quart water. ORIGINAL RECIPE: Place the ground beef in a large pan, cover with about 1 quart of cold water, and bring to a boil, stirring and breaking up the beef with a fork to a fine texture. Slowly boil until the meat is thoroughly cooked, about 30 minutes. I prefer to cook the meat first, drain the fat, THEN add the water.2.Stir in the remaining chili ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 hours. Add water if necessary to prevent the chili from burning.
To Serve:
1. Prepare spaghetti according to package directions.
2. Heat beans in a separate pot.
3. Remove the bay leaves from the chili. Divide the spaghetti among bowls and top with the chili, beans, onion and cheddar. Serve with the oyster crackers.