Cincinnati chili
Description
Use canned tomato sauce for this recipe—do not use jarred spaghetti sauce.
* Traditional Cincinnati chili meat is packed with warm spices—we narrowed ours down to chili powder, cinnamon, allspice, and oregano. Tomato paste added richness and color, while dark brown sugar gave it a molasses tang.
* Boiling the beef in water keeps it extremely tender during the cooking process—we cooked ours directly in our spices and liquid to infuse the meat with intense flavor.
* For a true Cincinnati chili experience, serve the chili over spaghetti and top with any combination of cheese, onions, beans, and oyster crackers.
One of the hallmarks of Cincinnati Chili is the wisp-thin tangle of shredded cheese that graces the top of the chili or cheese Coney. To produce cheese with this perfect airy texture, chili restaurants use industrial-strength cheese shredders, but where does that leave the home cook? We found that the best way to re-create these gossamer strands of cheddar, provided the cheese is well chilled, is to use the fine holes of a box grater. To get the longest, thinnest strands possible, grasp the refrigerated cheese and run it down the length of the box grater in a slight arcing motion; this way the shreds will run the entire length of the block of cheese.
* Traditional Cincinnati chili meat is packed with warm spices—we narrowed ours down to chili powder, cinnamon, allspice, and oregano. Tomato paste added richness and color, while dark brown sugar gave it a molasses tang.
* Boiling the beef in water keeps it extremely tender during the cooking process—we cooked ours directly in our spices and liquid to infuse the meat with intense flavor.
* For a true Cincinnati chili experience, serve the chili over spaghetti and top with any combination of cheese, onions, beans, and oyster crackers.
One of the hallmarks of Cincinnati Chili is the wisp-thin tangle of shredded cheese that graces the top of the chili or cheese Coney. To produce cheese with this perfect airy texture, chili restaurants use industrial-strength cheese shredders, but where does that leave the home cook? We found that the best way to re-create these gossamer strands of cheddar, provided the cheese is well chilled, is to use the fine holes of a box grater. To get the longest, thinnest strands possible, grasp the refrigerated cheese and run it down the length of the box grater in a slight arcing motion; this way the shreds will run the entire length of the block of cheese.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 onions , chopped fine
1 clove garlic , minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Salt
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon allspice
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups tomato sauce
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
1 1/2 pounds 85 percent lean ground beef
2 onions , chopped fine
1 clove garlic , minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Salt
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon allspice
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups tomato sauce
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
1 1/2 pounds 85 percent lean ground beef
Instructions
1. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Cook onions until soft and browned around edges, about 8 minutes. Add garlic, tomato paste, chili powder, oregano, cinnamon, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and allspice and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in chicken broth, tomato sauce, vinegar, and sugar.
2. Add beef and stir to break up meat. Bring to boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until chili is deep brown and slightly thickened, 15 to 20 minutes. Season with salt and serve. (Chili can be refrigerated in airtight container for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months.)
2. Add beef and stir to break up meat. Bring to boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until chili is deep brown and slightly thickened, 15 to 20 minutes. Season with salt and serve. (Chili can be refrigerated in airtight container for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months.)
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