Try this Cincinnati Chili recipe.
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 cup chili powder
- 1/2 (1 ounce) square unsweetened chocolate
- 2 (10.5 ounce) cans beef broth
- 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- Carbohydrate 2.70451155433881 g
- Cholesterol 81.4419529 mg
- Fat 20.0932872779379 g
- Fiber 1.1349709293815 g
- Protein 22.5458155647993 g
- Saturated Fat 7.69317922585075 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (133g)
- Sodium 121.283159776844 mg
- Sugar 1.5695406249573 g
- Trans Fat 2.5989596236636 g
- Calories 285 calories
Step-by-step
- Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 6 minutes.
- Add beef, in batches if necessary, and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until browned.
- Add chili powder, cinnamon, cumin, allspice, cloves, bay leaf, chocolate, beef broth, tomato sauce, cider vinegar, and red pepper. Stir to mix well. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
- It is the best if you now refrigerate overnight.
- Remove the bay leaf. Reheat gently over medium heat. Serve over hot, drained spaghetti. Top with shredded cheddar cheese.
Ground beef carries the weight of this dish, providing the foundational protein that absorbs a heavy load of aromatic spices. Building a batch efficiently requires understanding how scaling affects the liquid ratios. When reducing the recipe by half, decrease the beef broth from two cans to one, but keep the bay leaf count at one whole leaf so the woodier botanical notes do not overpower the smaller volume. Doubling the batch for gatherings means browning the meat in two separate pans rather than overcrowding a single skillet; moisture trapped by an overfilled pan will steam the beef instead of rendering the fat and creating the necessary fond.
Scaling and Adjusting Proportions
Adapting quantities demands precision with the dry spices, particularly the chili powder and cayenne. Halving the batch requires dividing measurements down to eighths for potent spices like cloves and allspice to maintain balance. If cooking for guests with specific dietary needs, substituting the standard beef broth with a rich vegetable stock alters the savory depth minimally, while gluten-free diners can enjoy the traditional presentation by pouring the sauce over certified gluten-free spaghetti noodles.
Resting and Reheating Technique
Allowing the chili to chill overnight in the refrigerator transforms the texture, letting the unsweetened chocolate and cider vinegar fully emulsify into the beef fat. Reheat the mixture slowly over medium heat in a heavy-bottomed saucepan, stirring every four minutes to prevent scorching the bottom sugars. The sauce reaches optimal serving consistency when it clings thickly to a wooden spoon without pooling excessive liquid on the plate.
