Cincinnati Chili

By lorik

Loaded with “sweet” spices like cinnamon, allspice, and cloves, this chili isn’t your typical bowl of red — it’s so much better and still brings a little heat!

Ingredients

• PULSE:
• 2 small yellow onions, chopped
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1 1/2 lb. ground round
• ADD:
• 2 Tbsp. each unsweetened cocoa powder, Worcestershire sauce, and cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. each chili powder, tomato paste, and sugar
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. each ground cinnamon and celery salt
• 1/2 tsp. each ground allspice and cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
• 2 cups water
• 1 can tomato sauce (15 oz.)
• SERVE:
• Cooked spaghetti
• Shredded Cheddar
• Chopped onions
• Variation from James Beard Foundation
• (Camp Washington Chili)
• 1 tablespoon hot chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 yellow onions, finely chopped (about 3 cups)
• 6 garlic cloves, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
• 1 tablespoon coarse salt, or more to taste
• 2 pounds lean ground beef
• 2 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
• 2 beef bouillon cubes, or 1/4 cup beef demi-glace

Details

Servings 4
Cooking time 60mins
Adapted from cuisineathome.com

Preparation

Step 1

Pulse yellow onions and garlic in a food processor until minced. Add
ground round and process until paste-like; transfer to a large sauté
pan over medium-low heat. Cook mixture until meat is no longer pink; drain and return to pan.

Add cocoa, Worcestershire, vinegar, chili powder, tomato paste, sugar, cumin, cinnamon, celery salt, allspice, cayenne, and cloves; cook 5 minutes. Stir in water and tomato sauce; bring mixture to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened, about 25 minutes.

Serve chili on spaghetti topped with Cheddar and onions.

Per serving: 455 cal; 26g total fat (10g sat); 116mg chol; 964mg sodium; 19g carb; 3g fiber; 35g protein

James Beard Variation:
In a small bowl, stir together the chili powder, cumin, oregano, dry mustard, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg. Set aside.

Heat the oil over medium heat in a large pot. Sauté the onions and garlic until soft, 3 to 5 minutes.

Add the spice mixture and salt and stir until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the beef and stir thoroughly to combine. Continue stirring until the beef is lightly browned, 7 to 10 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Add the bouillon cubes and stir.

Simmer, covered, for 2 to 3 hours, until the chili is very thick and fragrant. Season with additional salt and spices if desired.