Cincinnati Style Chili
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 lb Ground Beef See Notes
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
- 1 tablespoon Salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoon Allspice
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoon cider vinegar
- 1 clove garlic Crushed
- 6 oz tomato paste
- 3 Large Bay Leaves
- 2 Large Onions Finely Chopped
- 1 qt Water
Instructions
- In a cold 5QT. Cast Iron Dutch Oven crumble the beef. Do not brown the beef. Add water to beef, cover and turn heat up to medium. Reduce heat to simmer when mixture comes to a boil.
- Add all remaing ingredients, stir well, cover, and continue simmering until mixture thins to a sauce consistency. Most of the crumbled beef should have disolved into the sauce at this stage. This step takes a few hours to complete.
- The final mixture should resemble a very thin meat sauce. See serving notes for more details.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
My first experience with Cincinnati Style Chili was during a job interview in 1986 with a loclal engineering firm here in Cincinnati. During the interview process, lunchtime arrived and happened to coincide with what was then known as “Skyline Day”. Converging on the local chili emporium, after a brief instruction on it’s contents, and my hunger assessment evaluation, I settled on a 5 -Way and Cheese Coney. I was hooked! After lunch I discovered that eating Cincinnati Style Chili in a suit with a white shirt wasn’t a good idea. This provide some humorous little red dots on white which even the Oxyclean man couldn’t remove. Everyone else I met during the interview seemed to know where I had lunch and suggested a bib next time.
One of the characteristecs of Cincinnati’s brand of chili is of course it’s spices. While trying to duplicate the taste and consistency I came accross a recipe in the Cincinnati airport and decided to give it a try. The recipe was close enough that I have continued using it over the years when I wanted my own little stockpile. Today I cook it up in a cast iron pot as it tends to provide a better consistency to the recipe, which I share with you now. The 5-way is served over spaghetti with diced onions, kidney beans, and a generous helping of finely shreded cheddar cheese on top. Add some oyster crackers and hot sauce on the side and you’ve got it.