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Cincinnati chili
Cincinnati three-way: cinnamon-spiced beef sauce over spaghetti with a mountain of cheddar
Cincinnati, Ohio has hundreds of 'chili parlors', a tradition started by Greek-Macedonian immigrants in the 1920s, and their chili is nothing like the Texan kind. Minced beef is simmered (not browned) in water with tomato and a warm spice mix of cinnamon, allspice, clove, cumin and a little cocoa until it becomes a fine, thin sauce. It is ladled over spaghetti and buried in finely grated cheddar: a 'three-way'. Add onions for a four-way, beans for a five-way. Chef's tip: break the raw mince up in cold water before heating; that gives the signature smooth texture.
- Total time
- 135 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the chili
To serve
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Put 1 ⅔ lb beef mince (15% fat) and 4 ¼ cups cold water in a large pan and mash with a whisk or potato masher until the meat is broken into very fine bits with no lumps.
5 minStep 2: Add 1 onion, 3 cloves garlic, 5 ½ oz tomato purée, 2 tbsp cider vinegar, 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 2 tbsp mild chili powder, 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp ground cumin, ½ tsp ground allspice, ¼ tsp ground cloves, 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 bay leaf and 1 ½ tsp salt. Bring to the boil, stirring.
8 minStep 3: Simmer uncovered over a low heat for 1½–2 hours, stirring every 15 minutes, until reduced to a thick, spoonable sauce. The beef will be cooked well beyond 160°F. A common mistake is browning the mince first, which gives a crumbly, chunky sauce instead of a smooth one.
105 minStep 4: If you like, chill the chili overnight and lift off the fat that sets on top, then reheat until piping hot. Remove the bay leaf.
5 minStep 5: Cook 1 ⅛ lb spaghetti in salted water until al dente and drain. Pile onto plates, ladle chili over and heap with 9 oz mild cheddar. Add 1 onion and 14 oz cooked kidney beans for a four- or five-way.
12 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 780 kcal
- Protein
- 46 g
- Carbs
- 72 g
- Fat
- 33 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does cincinnati chili take?
- About 135 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 120 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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