A New Favorite?

I have grown up eating the same chili my whole life. I remember when my mom taught me to cook it. She and my sister have even converted it to a veggie version. It is hearty and warming. Large chunks of meat, beans, and a delicious tomato sauce build this chili. However (and yes, there had to be a however), I decided to try a new chili for dinner.

Cincinnati-style chili is something I have heard about before. Or seen. All I knew about it before was that it was made with much finer pieces of meat. Also, it is often served over spaghetti and garnished with cheese, onions, and beans. Then came the day I saw a recipe for it. Oh, the spices! It sounded delicious, and I had to try it.

I will say that this in no way will replace my original chili recipe. It's something different, and it is fabulous. But I don't always want different. So the next time I make chili I'm sure I will go back to the original and I will be blogging that. This new chili was probably not hub's favorite. I absolutely loved it: the flavors were phenomenal. I truly believe that everyone should try this. It will be worth it, even if it doesn't replace your standby chili recpie!

Also easily converted to veggie, this would be great with a TVP substitute. I realize that typically this style of chili is made with very small pieces of meat. I've read that the best way to achieve this is by cooking the raw meat in a pot of the liquid and whisking as it cooks. That totally skeeved me out, so I didn't do it that way. I think TVP would probably result in a more accurate consistency.

Cincinnati-style Chili
from Cooks Illustrated by way of Joelen's Culinary Adventures

1 lb. ground beef
3 cloves of garlic
2 tbsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. unsweeted chocolate (shaved or minced)
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
kosher salt, to taste
2 c. tomato sauce
2 c. chicken broth
1 c. water
2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp. brown sugar

spaghetti, cooked per package directions
1 can of kidney beans, drained, rinsed, and warmed
1 onion, chopped
grated cheese (I used cheddar)

In a large dutch over or other pot, brown the ground beef over low heat, using a masher to break the meat up into small pieces. When the meat is nearly browned, add the garlic, chili powder, cayenne pepper, oregano, chocolate, allspice, cloves, cinnamon, black pepper, and salt. Heat for approximately 1 minutes. Add the tomato sauce, chicken broth, water, vinegar, and sugar. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for at least one a half hours.

Before serving cook the spaghetti. Serve the chili over the spaghetti and garnish with chopped onions, grated cheese, and warmed beans. Revel in the smell and taste of those amazing spices. I hope you love it as much as I did!