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Bob's Cincinnati Chili

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Submitted by Boggie

Cincinnati chili: a thin, fragrant ground beef sauce spiced with cinnamon, allspice, and cumin, ladled over spaghetti and topped with shredded cheddar, raw onion, and oyster crackers. The Ohio classic.

YIELD

8 servings

PREP

20 min

COOK

1 hrs

READY

hrs

Cincinnati chili is its own thing, and people have strong opinions. It’s not Texas chili, not Tex-Mex, not even chili in the traditional bean-and-meat sense. It’s a thin, spice-fragrant Greek-American meat sauce served over spaghetti, and it’s been the city’s signature dish since the 1920s.

The spice profile is the giveaway. Cinnamon, allspice, and bay leaf are the unexpected ingredients that mark Cincinnati chili. The Greek and Macedonian immigrants who created it borrowed from their home traditions of spiced meat sauces. It tastes more like a North African or Middle Eastern stew than a Western chili.

Don’t brown the meat hard. The traditional method calls for boiling the ground beef in liquid, which keeps the meat texture fine and silky rather than crumbly. This recipe browns first then simmers in broth, splitting the difference. The result is a sauce that pours like gravy.

Serve Cincinnati style. The locals call it three-way (chili over spaghetti with cheese), four-way (add onions or beans), or five-way (everything: chili, spaghetti, cheese, onions, beans). Top with finely shredded sharp cheddar and a small handful of oyster crackers.

Apple cider vinegar and Worcestershire sauce are the small but mandatory finishing touches. They sharpen the sweetness of the cinnamon and add depth.

Pro Tips

  • Use very fine-shred cheese. The mountainous pile of fluffy cheddar is part of the visual.
  • Cook spaghetti slightly past al dente. It’s traditional to be soft, almost soupy.
  • Make ahead. Cincinnati chili tastes deeper after an overnight fridge rest.
  • Don’t skimp on the cinnamon. It’s a defining flavor, not an accent.

Variations

  • Make it five-way by adding warm canned kidney beans under the cheese.
  • Stir in a tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder for a Skyline-style version.
  • Top with sliced jalapeños if you want some heat against the sweet spices.

Ingredients

1 453.6
POUND G GROUND BEEF
1 ½ 355
CUPS ML ONIONS
chopped
2 2
EACH GARLIC CLOVES
minced *
1 ¾ 414
½ 118
CUP ML WATER
2 30
TABLESPOONS ML CHILI POWDER
1 5
TEASPOON ML OREGANO
dried
1 5
TEASPOON ML CUMIN
ground
1 5
TEASPOON ML WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE
1 5
TEASPOON ML APPLE CIDER VINEGAR
¾ 3.8
TEASPOON ML CINNAMON
ground
½ 2.5
TEASPOON ML SALT
¼ 1.3
TEASPOON ML ALLSPICE
ground
1 1
EACH BAY LEAF *
14 ½ 419.1
OUNCES ML/G TOMATOES
whole, canned, undrained and chopped
5 1.2
CUPS L SPAGHETTI
cooked, still hot, about 10 ounces uncooked pasta *
158
CUP ML CHEDDAR CHEESE, VERY OLD, SHARP
finely shredded
158
CUP ML ONIONS
chopped
20 20

Directions

Combine first 3 ingredients in a medium saucepan; cook over medium heat until meat is browned, stirring to crumble.

Drain well; return meat mixture to pan.

Add broth and next 11 ingredients; bring to a boil.

Reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Discard bay leaf.

Spoon spaghetti onto plates; top with chili, cheese, onion, and crackers.

* not incl. in nutrient facts Arrow up button

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Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 221g (7.8 oz)
Amount per Serving
Calories 353 34% from fat
 % Daily Value *
Total Fat 14g 21%
Saturated Fat 6g 29%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 59mg 20%
Sodium 301mg 13%
Total Carbohydrate 12g 12%
Dietary Fiber 3g 13%
Sugars g
Protein 46g
Vitamin A 19% Vitamin C 17%
Calcium 12% Iron 20%
* based on a 2,000 calorie diet How is this calculated?
 

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