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Cincinnati Chili

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    Posted: 05 May 2010 at 08:25
To the uninitiated, Cincinnati Chili looks nothing like what youve had before, But once you get a taste of this local Ohio specialty, you just might get hooked. Here is my personal favorite recipe for Cincinnati style chili.
 
If you happen to be near Cincinnati and want to try this delight, here is how you order:
One way: A bowl of plain chili....this is unheard of...nobody orders a one way.
Two way: A plate of spaghetti covered with chili.
Three way: Spaghetti, chili and onion.
Four way: Spaghetti. chil, onion and cheese.
Five way: Spaghetti, beans, chili, onions and cheese.

Ingredients

Chili
2 teaspoons salt or more to taste
1.5 pounds ground beef chuck
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium onions , chopped fine (about 2 cups)
2 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons cocoa
1.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
2 cups tomato sauce

Hot pepper sauce (I prefer Frank's original)
Accompaniments
1 pound spaghetti , cooked, drained, and tossed with 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
12 ounces sharp cheddar cheese , shredded
1
1
can red kidney beans (15-ounce), drained, rinsed, and warmed
medium onion, chopped
1
  1. FOR THE CHILI: Bring 2 quarts of water and 1 teaspoon of the salt to
    a boil in a large saucepan. Add the ground chuck, stirring vigorously
    to separate the meat into individual strands. As soon as the foam from
    the meat rises to the top (this takes about 30 seconds) and before the
    water returns to a boil, drain the meat into a strainer and set it
    aside.

  2. Rinse and dry the empty saucepan. Set the pan over medium heat and
    add the oil. When the oil is warm, add the onions and cook, stirring
    frequently, until the onions are soft and browned around the edges, about
    8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir
    in the chili powder, oregano, cocoa, cinnamon, cayenne, allspice, black
    pepper, and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring constantly,
    until the spices are fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the broth,
    water, vinegar, sugar, and tomato sauce, scraping the pan bottom to remove
    any browned bits.

  3. Add the blanched ground beef and increase the heat to high. As soon as the liquid boils, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the chili is deep red and has thickened slightly, about 1 hour. Adjust the seasonings, adding salt and hot pepper sauce to taste. (The chili can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat before serving.)

  4. TO SERVE: Divide the buttered spaghetti among individual bowls.
    Spoon the chili over the spaghetti and top with the cheese, beans, and
    onion. Serve immediately.

Go ahead...play with your food!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TasunkaWitko Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 May 2010 at 09:06
dave - i have heard of this before, and it sure looks interesting! would like to try it one of these days...
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Hoser Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 February 2014 at 03:04
I decided to make a batch of my favorite chili yesterday, so I figured I might as well go ahead and do a tutorial as well.

Here are most of the necessary ingredients....garlic and tomato sauce are missing I believe, and cider vinegar as well.


You'll notice a bottle of Zing Zang bloody Mary mix in the photo...that was leftover from the holiday parties, and I thought I might replace the water and chicken broth in the recipe with it.

Step number one is the one that most chili aficionados will have the most trouble with....bring a large pan of water to a boil, and cook your ground beef.

Toss the meat in and whisk for about 30 seconds, then drain your beef.

This is what you'll be left with....the individual strands of meat that came out of the grinder...no clumps or lumps of meat....this is a trait of a true Cincinnati chili.


Now it's simple...just saute' some onions and garlic in a few tablespoons of oil


While the onions are cooking, you can measure out your spices


Then add your spices and cook until fragrant


Add your meat back to the pan along with your liquid ingredients, bring it to a boil, the reduce heat and give it a good long simmer. I usually cook mine a couple of hours.


When it's cooked to your liking...boil up a pot of spaghetti and toss it in butter


Now we'll plate up a "four way"
First the buttered spaghetti

Chili to your liking


Chopped raw onions

And plenty of shredded or grated cheddar cheese


Voila! a four-way is born. The addition of drained and rinsed red kidney beans would of course, make this a five-way.

I hope you folks get a chance to try this chili ...it really is different, but good! 

Go ahead...play with your food!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote africanmeat Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 February 2014 at 03:37
yummy this looks good . as the winter will hit us i will do your chili .
thanks 
Ahron
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote pitrow Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 February 2014 at 10:52
Still not sure about the chili over spaghetti part, but I suppose it'd be like a spicy meat sauce. One of these days I'll venture it.

Thanks for the post!
Mike
Life in PitRow - My often neglected, somewhat eccentric, occasionally outstanding blog
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote MarkR Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 February 2014 at 13:20
The boiled beef part ain't working here. I think I would rather grind the meat after it's cooked. Like boiling ribs, you wash out all the flavor and fat.
Other than that, looks and sounds great!
Not sure I could call it Chili though......But worth a try!!!Thumbs Up
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AK1 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 February 2014 at 15:36
Boiled beef, spaghetti.... Nah! Doesn't work for me.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote gracoman Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 February 2014 at 17:43
Yo Dave.... You da man!!!!

I've been making Cincinnati Style for years and years and years.  I know it sounds odd to the uninitiated but this is something that should not be knocked until tried.  There are always beans in mine, and I don't boil the meat (although I should) but those are the few differences worth mentioning.

I'm a small time outfitter of sorts, taking tenderfoots into the desert and backcountry for a few days of "roughing it" (hardly roughing it when I'm doing all of the work and all of the cooking).  When I pull out the dutch ovens, folks can't believe what I can produce in them.  Cincinnati chili is a favorite.  Everybody freaks when they are first served this but they are all standing in line looking for seconds.  They all think I invented this dish, and I just let them go right on thinking that. LOL


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Hoser Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 February 2014 at 01:47
Originally posted by gracoman gracoman wrote:

Yo Dave.... You da man!!!!

I've been making Cincinnati Style for years and years and years.  I know it sounds odd to the uninitiated but this is something that should not be knocked until tried.  There are always beans in mine, and I don't boil the meat (although I should) but those are the few differences worth mentioning.

I'm a small time outfitter of sorts, taking tenderfoots into the desert and backcountry for a few days of "roughing it" (hardly roughing it when I'm doing all of the work and all of the cooking).  When I pull out the dutch ovens, folks can't believe what I can produce in them.  Cincinnati chili is a favorite.  Everybody freaks when they are first served this but they are all standing in line looking for seconds.  They all think I invented this dish, and I just let them go right on thinking that. LOL


Yep....it is most certainly one of those "don't knock it until you try it" type dishes.

Sounds to me like your "tenderfoots" have it quite easy.Thumbs Up
Go ahead...play with your food!
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