Overnight Cincinnati Chili

Cincinnati chili breaks every rule of Texas chili and that’s the whole point. The spice cabinet leans Greek and Middle Eastern instead of Southwestern: cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and a square of unsweetened chocolate join the chili powder and cumin to build a complex, almost mole-like sauce. The texture is loose and saucy, designed to coat strands of spaghetti, not stand up on its own.

The overnight rest is what separates this from a same-day pot. As the chili chills, the fats solidify and trap the spice oils, and when reheated the next day every spice bloom is more pronounced. Cinnamon and cloves come forward, the chocolate’s bitter edge mellows, and the apple cider vinegar’s brightness cuts cleanly through the beef.

The technique calls for browning the ground beef without draining the fat. Cincinnati chili is a wet, almost soupy preparation; that fat carries flavor and clings to the pasta. Serve it Cincinnati-style as a “3-way” (chili, spaghetti, cheddar), “4-way” (add raw onions or beans), or “5-way” (all of the above).

Pro Tips

• Don’t over-brown the beef into crisp clumps. Keep it loose and fine-textured by breaking it up well with a wooden spoon while it cooks.
• The unsweetened chocolate is a must, even though the amount sounds small. It deepens the chili’s color and rounds out the spice without making it taste like dessert.
• Save the bay leaf removal for the very end after the overnight chill. Long contact extracts more of its flavor.
• Pile the shredded cheddar on while the chili is still piping hot. The cheese should melt into a tangled, gooey mass on top.

Variations

• For a 4-way, add a layer of warm kidney beans between the spaghetti and the chili.
• Top with finely chopped raw onion for the classic Cincinnati garnish.
• Add a teaspoon of unsweetened cocoa powder along with the chocolate for an even richer chocolate undertone.