cincinnati chili

Cincinnati is home to the Reds, the Bengals, Jerry Springer (former mayor), WKRP in Cincinnati, some good friends of mine, and Cincinnati Chili.

Baby,
If you ever wonder
Wonder whatever became of me
I'm living on the air in Cincinnati
Cincinnati, WKRP.

Got tired of the packing and unpacking
Town to town, up and down the dial
Baby you and me were never meant to be
So maybe think of me once in a while.
I'm at WKRP in Cincinnati.

Anyway, Cincinnati Chili combines elements of midwestern American cooking with middle eastern cooking (allspice and cinnamon). I made this a couple of weekends ago when we hosted Wrestlemania 21 at our place and I think it turned out pretty well.

Cincinnati Chili (serves six to eight)
2 teaspoons table salt or more to taste
1 1/2 pounds ground chuck
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium onions, chopped fine (about 2 cups)
2 medium cloves of garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups water
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
2 cups tomato sauce
hot pepper sauce

1. Bring 2 quarts of water and 1 teaspoon of the salt to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the ground chuck, stirring vigorously to separate the meat into individual strands. As soon as the foam from the meat rises to the top (this takes about 30 seconds) and before the water returns to a boil, drain the meat into a strainer and set it aside.

2. Rinse and dry the empty saucepan. Set the pan over medium heat and add the oil. When the oil is warm, add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are soft and browned around the edges, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the chili powder, oregano, cocoa, cinnamon, cayenne, allspice, black pepper, and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring constantly, until the spices are fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the broth, water, vinegar, sugar, and tomato sauce, scraping the pan bottom to remove any browned bits.

3. Add the blanched ground beef and increase the heat to high. As soon as the liquid boils, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the chili is deep red and has thickened slightly, about 1 hour. Adjust the seasonings, adding salt and hot pepper sauce to taste. (The chili can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat before serving.)

Serve over spaghetti and warm kidney beans with shredded cheddar cheese and finely chopped white onion.

Recipe courtesy of America's Test Kitchen (free registration required). Yeah, these are the people who wrote my favorite cookbook, The Best Recipe.