Cincinnati Chili
My Cincinnati Chili:
By: Elise Jesse
I know chili is widely debated, but one taste of Cincinnati chili has the power to end the debate. It is the best in the world, hands down. This chili is a staple in my home today and was woven into the fabric of my childhood from family nights to post-football game meals, to post-church meals.
Cincinnati-style chili exploded onto the food scene in 1920. Two brothers, Tom and John Kiradjieff immigrated from Hroupisa, Macedonia, (part of Northern Greece) to Cincinnati during pre-World War I unrest.
As the story goes, John would mix the spice blend at his home and take it to work with him (Empress Chili Parlor), careful not to reveal the Mediterranean spice blend that captivated Cincinnati’s hearts a century ago.
Home cooks around the city would eventually try to create pots of chili that mimicked the flavors, and they did a pretty great job if you ask me.
The warm spices complement the heat of the chili, and the chocolate adds a rich, deep flavor. When you add cinnamon to the pot, this simple step will take your bowl of chili from good to out of this world.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour
Servings 6-8
Ingredients:
-1 pound of ground beef
-2 tablespoons olive oil
-1 yellow onion
-4 cloves garlic (minced)
-1 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes
-1 6-ounce can tomato paste
-1 can tri-blend beans (drained and rinsed)
-1 can chili beans
-1 small can of green chilis (optional)
-1 cup beef bone broth (add more if you like it “soupier”)
-1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
Spice Blend
-3 tablespoons chili powder
-1 tablespoon cumin
-1 teaspoon salt
-1teaspoon paprika
-1 teaspoon garlic powder
-1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder
-1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 piece (about 1/2 ounce) of chocolate
-1 teaspoon oregano
-1/4 of nutmeg
-1/4 allspice
Directions:
Measure out the spice blend into a bowl for a seamless cooking experience.
Add olive oil to a pot and add your diced onion, cook the onion for 3-4 minutes until translucent.
To the onions add one can of tomato paste.
Once onions become translucent, add minced garlic cloves and cook for about 1 minute until fragrant.
Add one pound of ground beef, spice blend, and chocolate into the pot and brown the meat.
Once the meat is browned and chocolate melted, add a 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes, green chilis (optional), try-blend beans, and chili beans.
Once mixed add 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce and 1 cup of beef broth.
Cover the pot and allow the flavors to simmer, marrying together for at least an hour.
Build your chili bowl. The traditional way is with spaghetti, chili, and cheese. I like to start my base with sour cream, add chili, more sour cream, cheese, onion, and jalapeño peppers. Customize the way you like and enjoy!