JB's Cincinnati Chili

This one comes from my friend JB. I know that Cincinnati Chili can be controversial but I'm an unapologetic fan. The trick is to manage your expectations - this is not Tex Mex chili, but rather its own thing entirely. If you imagine this dish as an exotically flavoured meat-based spaghetti sauce, you'll do much better.

Ingredients

  • 4 cups water
  • 2 lbs ground beef, browned
  • 2 large onions, chopped fine
  • 1 whole clove garlic
  • 1 6 oz can tomato paste
  • 2 Tbsp chili powder
  • 1 Tbsp salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp allspice
  • 1 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 3 whole bay leaves
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp white vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Instructions

Place all ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 3 hours, stirring occasionally. Serve over spaghetti with finely chopped raw onion, small red beans and finely grated, mild (orange) cheddar cheese.

Added Wisdom

I use ground beef browned just until the redness of the ground beef is gone in a deep skillet. While the beef is cooking, I break it up as much as I can with a spatula to eliminate any chunks and get the beef as granular as possible. I then remove the beef to the cooking pot with a slotted spoon so some of the juices are retained but most of the fat is left in the skillet.

I cook the chili in a broad-bottomed, 5 qt. pot. I bring the chili to boil on a large electric burner and then transfer it to a smaller burner for simmering—I find the heat easier to regulate that way. I try to get a steady simmer where it is bubbling in a couple places but not over the entire surface area. Covering the chili during the simmer is important, as is allowing the condensation on the underside of the lid to run back into the chili—otherwise the chili reduces too much.

After 3 hours, the chili develops a resiliency where if you hit the chili with the back of a spoon it bounces back. Once you've done a batch you'll know what I mean. It should not be watery and it should not splatter like spaghetti sauce. Nor should it syrupy.

I usually use large white onions, chopped as fine as I can reasonably get them. I use the Clic brand of canned small red beans, just rinsed in cold water and drained. Any brand of mild cheddar cheese will do—I find the generic cheese harder to grate, but it melts better into the chili. Any brand of spaghetti will also work. The spaghetti should be fully cooked or just slightly al dente—it should be soft enough to absorb the chili juices.