Cincinnati Chili
It's a unique style of chili, but everyone in Cincinnati has their own "way" of enjoying. A two-way is chili over spaghetti. A three-way is the addition of a mound of cheese. A four-way is topped with kidney beans, or with chopped onions. A five-way is the works!
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp canola oil
- 2 medium onions
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp salt
- 3/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp allspice
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups canned tomato sauce
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp brown sugar
- 1 1/2 pounds 85-90% lean ground beef
Instructions
- Heat oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook onions until soft and browned around the edges, 7-8 minutes.
- Add garlic, tomato paste, chili powder, oregano, cinnamon, salt, pepper, and allspice. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Stir in broth , tomato sauce, vinegar and sugar. Add beef and stir to break up meat into small pieces.
- Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until chili is deep brown and slightly thickened, 20-30 minutes.
- Season with additional salt to taste. Serve with spaghetti, cheddar cheese, chopped onion and kidney beans
Notes
- Don’t be put off by the cinnamon and all-spice. Cincinnati’s chili history is Greek in origin. It’s not Texas chili, but it’s not quite the flavor of moussaka either.
- Typically ground beef would be browned at the beginning of the recipe along with the onions. Here, it’s cooked in the liquid at the end which allows the beef to break up in to small pieces.
- This chili is also used to make cheese coneys. Top your favorite hot dog in a bun with chili, cheese, onion and a swipe of mustard.