Scott Suchman for The Washington Post
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But now a century old, Cincinnati's regional favorite has shown that it has staying power, and after one taste of this version adapted from "Joy of Cooking," you'll quickly see why.
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"For skeptical or puzzled readers who have trouble squaring this chocolate-laced spaghetti topping with their notions of what a chili ought to be: We suggest you think of it as a Macedonian Bolognese sauce instead," the book's authors wrote.
It was invented by brothers Tom and John Kiradjieff, who immigrated to Cincinnati in the early 1920s from Macedonia and opened Empress Chili Parlor in 1922. "The Kiradjieffs took a meat stew with traditional Mediterranean spices like cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg and added chili powder, along with other spices familiar to their Slavic Mediterranean upbringing, and called it chili, something easily recognized by Americans," Dann Woellert wrote in "The Authentic History of Cincinnati Chili."
The first menu sold the chili either on hot dogs or mixed with spaghetti, according to Woellert. It was a customer who first suggested serving the chili on top of the spaghetti instead of mixed with it, and another who asked for it to be topped with grated cheese. From there, the "ways" it's served came to be: atop spaghetti (2-way), sprinkled with cheddar cheese (3-way), diced onions (4-way) and red kidney beans (5-way).
The Cincinnati chili recipe found in "Joy of Cooking" first appeared in the 1997 edition. "The recipe was developed by my father, Ethan, born and raised in the Cincinnati area, for a chili cook-off," remembered John Becker, co-author with Megan Scott of the book's 2019 edition. "Somewhat implausibly, he claims he was also a judge. His entry won the blind tasting. Ethan always says he chose his as the best thinking it was someone else's entry."
Admittedly, I was a bit skeptical upon reading the recipe, which told me to add ground beef directly to boiling water instead of sauteing it along with the aromatics first. But I trusted the process, and it all worked out in the end. The amount of time spent simmering on the stovetop evaporates most if not all of the water and makes up for not first sauteing some of the ingredients.
For the patient among us, the chili is most flavorful after resting for a day, though my spoonfuls straight from the pot after it finished simmering were still quite delicious.
In addition to the five standard ways of serving the chili in Cincinnati, Becker suggests that two other typical options are a must. "I was born there and spent summers there until I was about 15, so I'm not exactly a local authority," he said. "Not sure if this is canon, but topping the cheese pillow with crumbled oyster crackers and Tabasco or Frank's is essential, too, for me at least."
CINCINNATI CHILI
ACTIVE TIME: 30 minutes | Total time: 3 hours, plus overnight refrigeration
Cincinnati's regional favorite has its fair share of detractors, dubious of cinnamon and chocolate's place in chili, but one taste of this version from "The Joy of Cooking" and you'll quickly see why it's so beloved by those in the know. "For skeptical or puzzled readers who have trouble squaring this chocolate-laced spaghetti topping with their notions of what a chili ought to be: We suggest you think of it as a Macedonian Bolognese sauce instead," the book's authors wrote. In Cincinnati, the traditional serving additions are known as "ways." For the true Cincinnati chili experience, serve it atop spaghetti (2-way), sprinkled with cheddar cheese (3-way), diced onions (4-way) and red kidney beans (5-way) along with oyster crackers and hot sauce. It's also a key component of Coney Island hot dogs.
MAKE AHEAD: The chili needs to be refrigerated overnight, then reheated before serving.
STORAGE NOTES: Refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days.
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
In a large pot over high heat, bring the water to a boil. Add the ground beef and stir, breaking apart with a wooden spoon, until separated.
Add the onion, garlic, tomato sauce, bay leaf, chocolate, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, salt, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, cumin, black pepper, allspice and cloves and stir to combine, reduce heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until the liquid has reduced and the flavors meld, about 2 1/2 hours. Remove from the heat and let cool for about 30 minutes, then refrigerate overnight.
The next day, skim as much fat off the chili as you can and discard the bay leaf. To reheat the chili, set the pot over medium-low heat until heated through, 10 to 15 minutes. Ladle over spaghetti, and top with cheese, onions, beans, oyster crackers and hot sauce, as desired. Serve hot.
VARIATION: To cook in a 6-quart Instant Pot or other multicooker, set to SAUTE (high) and add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Once it starts to ripple, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until aromatic, about 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the beef and saute, stirring frequently until somewhat broken up and most of the pink is gone, 3 to 5 minutes. If needed, add a splash of water to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the insert. Add the tomato sauce, bay leaf, chocolate, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, salt, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, cumin, black pepper, allspice and cloves, stirring constantly until the meat is separated. Press CANCEL to turn off the heat.
Cover, set the steam valve to PRESSURE (or SEALING) and turn to HIGH. After the cooker reaches high pressure, which takes 5 to 10 minutes, cook for 20 minutes. Do a manual release, covering the vent with a towel and taking care to avoid steam. If desired, you can return the appliance to high on SAUTE to cook it down a little more. Discard the bay leaf and the chili is ready to serve as directed above, or to chill overnight before skimming.
NUTRITION INFORMATION PER SERVING: (a generous 2/3 cup) | Calories: 437; Total Fat: 31 g; Saturated Fat: 13 g; Cholesterol: 107 mg; Sodium: 1292 mg; Carbohydrates: 12 g; Dietary Fiber: 3 g; Sugar: 6 g; Protein: 28 g
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SERVINGS 6; (makes about 5 cups)
• 4 cups water
• 2 pounds ground beef, preferably 80/20
• 2 medium yellow onions (about 14 ounces), finely chopped
• 5 to 6 garlic cloves, chopped
• One (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 large bay leaf
• 1/2 ounce unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons fine salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• Cooked spaghetti, for serving (optional)
• Grated cheddar cheese (VEGAN), for serving (optional)
• Diced yellow onions, for serving (optional)
• Cooked red kidney beans, for serving (optional)
• Oyster crackers, for serving (optional)
• Hot sauce, for serving (optional)