Okay, I was born in Columbus and moved to Florida when I was a kid. I don’t care for the Bengals and after Johnny Bench and Pete Rose left the Reds, I had no use for them either. But there’s ONE thing I love about the Queen City… Skyline Chili!
The grocery stores are closed and the closest Skyline Chili restaurant is 100 miles away. Elizabeth has all the spices so let’s make Cincinnati Chili.
CINCINNATI STYLE CHILI (SERVES 4)
INGREDIENTS: (use ORGANIC whenever possible)
4 cups of water
1 – 1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef (cooked and very finely chopped)
6 oz can of tomato paste
1/2 oz semi-sweet or 1 oz unsweetened chocolate chips
1/2 tsp sugar (1/4 tsp if using semi-sweet chocolate chips)
1/4 cup chili powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/8 tsp black pepper
3/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar (be sure to shake the bottle first!)
METHOD:
Add the water to a large uncovered pot. Add the tomato paste and chocolate chips and heat over medium heat using a wire whisk to stir. Add all the spices and increase heat to medium high. Add groud beef and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 1 hour until water has boiled off and chili has thickened dramatically. Stir occasionally until sauce has reduced to the consistancy of an Italian bolognese meat sauce. So, if you’re really into authentic Cincinnati Chili, you already know there are three ways to serve this. (1) as a “3-Way” served over spaghetti piled high with finely shredded cheddar cheese. (2) as a “4-Way” served over spaghetti with onions or beans and cheese. (3) as a “5-Way” served over spaghetti with both onions AND beans and of course, cheese.
Let’s Eat!
