Cincinnati Chili

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 2 clove(s) garlic, chopped
• 2 onions, chopped
• 500 g minced beef
• 1 can of tomatoes, chopped
• 1 can of tomatoes, pureed
• 1 can kidney beans
• 3 tbsp chocolate (dark chocolate), chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 200 ml water
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp sweet paprika powder
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1 tsp. clove powder
• 1 ½ tsp cinnamon powder
• 1 pinch of allspice
• 1 tsp cumin
• Salt
• 1 pinch of cayenne pepper (add more if you like)
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar, alternatively cider or apple wine
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• Pepper, freshly ground
• Oil, for frying
• 500g spaghetti
• e.g. cheese, for grating (Cheddar would be appropriate)
• possibly crackers (oyster crackers) for garnishing

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 50 minutes

Cincinnati Style – traditional recipe from Ohio

The recipe originates from Ohio and is served in diners there, in a similar form. The dish is traditionally eaten with spaghetti. Heat a little oil in a large, heavy skillet. Sauté the garlic and half the onions. After five minutes, add the seasonings (except the bay leaves) and continue to sauté. It must not burn. Then add the meat and cook until the meat is no longer pink. Then add a teaspoon of salt. When the meat is cooked through, add the tomatoes (sauce and chunks) and the beans, bay leaves, and about 200 ml of water. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally. Next, add the chocolate, the vinegar or cider, and the Worcestershire sauce. Simmer gently for the next 15 minutes; it will slowly thicken. In the meantime, you can cook the spaghetti. To serve, you fish out the bay leaves, place the spaghetti and then the chili on the plates, and then pile the whole thing with a huge mound of grated cheese, mixed with the remaining onions. In Ohio, it’s then garnished with oyster crackers (but you can’t get them here—you can do without them).