An unusual chili, with cinnamon, cloves, and even chocolate!
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 cup chili powder
- 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 (1 ounce) square unsweetened chocolate
- 2 (10.5 ounce) cans beef broth
- 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
- Carbohydrate 2.53910899183881 g
- Cholesterol 81.4419529 mg
- Fat 20.0748430279379 g
- Fiber 1.07694655606474 g
- Protein 22.5290260022994 g
- Saturated Fat 7.68814897585075 g
- Serving Size 1 1 serving (133g)
- Sodium 121.232416026844 mg
- Sugar 1.46216243577407 g
- Trans Fat 2.59421618616361 g
- Calories 284 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.
Chili powder anchors this regional style, providing not only capsaicin heat but also earthiness derived from toasted dried chiles, garlic, and cumin. Ground beef cooked directly in liquid rather than browned beforehand in fat creates a fine, uniform meat sauce texture that clings effortlessly to pasta strands. Spices like cinnamon, cloves, and allspice introduce aromatic compounds that mimic Mediterranean meat sauces, relying on sweet warmth to balance the savory umami of beef broth and tomato sauce.
Resting the finished pot in the refrigerator overnight allows water-soluble flavors to redistribute evenly while proteins firm up and excess fat solidifies for easy skimming. Chilling drops the temperature below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, halting microbial activity while chemical bonds between aromatics and fats continue to mature. Reheating this mixture gently over medium heat restores fluidity without toughening the protein strands in the ground beef.
Scaling quantities up requires monitoring evaporation rates carefully because a larger volume in a wide saucepan will retain more moisture during the 90-minute simmer. Doubling the beef broth and tomato sauce necessitates a larger vessel to prevent overcrowding, which otherwise traps steam and results in a thin consistency instead of a thick sauce.
Removing the bay leaf before serving eliminates an unpalatable, rigid texture left behind by the dehydrated leaf structure. Finishing the dish with finely shredded cheddar cheese over hot spaghetti utilizes residual heat from the pasta to melt the dairy fats into a cohesive layer.
