Cincinnati Chili

  • 8
  • 20 mins
  • 120 mins

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 sweet onions (such as Vidalia), finely chopped, plus more for topping
  • 2 pounds ground beef chuck
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
  • 2 medium tomatoes, diced
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup chili powder
  • 2 tablespoons paprika
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 pound spaghetti, cooked
  • Pinto beans and grated cheddar cheese, for topping
  • Oyster crackers, for serving (optional)

Preparation

Step 1

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add the ground beef to the pot, sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon each salt and black pepper and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and return the cooked onions to the pot; stir in the garlic.

Combine the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, vinegar, chili powder, paprika, cinnamon, cumin, allspice, cloves and cayenne in a bowl; add to the pot along with 1 cup water and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat and cook until the chili is slightly thickened, about 1 hour, 30 minutes.

Serve the chili over the spaghetti; top with chopped onion, pinto beans and grated cheddar and serve with oyster crackers on the side.

Photograph by Kat Teutsch