Cincinnati Chili

Let's face it.  It was a crappy week, weather-wise.

It was rainy.  The temps refused to rise out of the 40s.

In other words, it was a perfect week for chili.

It was an even better week for Cincinnati chili.

It is easier to find recipes for Cincy chili than

to find the story behind the chili.

This from Urban Dictionary.  Don't make me hunt you down.

"This culinary barbarity from Cincinnati, Ohio is really a hoked-up spaghetti sauce that consists of a faux weak chili flavored with spices such as chocolate, cinnamon, allspice, and possibly Worcestershire.

This goop is spooned on pasta (of all things!) and topped off with ingredients such as chopped onions, shredded Cheddar cheese, beans, and crushed oyster crackers. Cincinnatians who specify Five-Way Chili get the works: all of that." 

Forget that, I will hunt you down. 

After all, these people have obviously never tasted the goodness that is Cincy Chili.

Heathens.

Heh, I have a new hobby now.
It's always good to have a hobby.

The ingredients:

 1 /2 cup onion, chopped

1 pound ground beef

1 clove garlic, grated

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon red (cayenne) pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1-1/2 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa

or 1/2 oz. grated unsweetened chocolate

1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon  cider vinegar

1/2 cup water

1 (16-ounce) package uncooked dried spaghetti pasta

Toppings (see below)

In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, 

saute onion, ground beef,

garlic and chili powder until ground beef 

is slightly  cooked.  Add allspice, cinnamon, cumin, 

cayenne pepper, salt, unsweetened cocoa or chocolate, 

tomato sauce, Worcesterhsire sauce, cider vinegar, and water.  

Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, 1-1/2 hours.  

Remove from heat 

Cook spaghetti according to package directions 

and transfer onto individual serving plates.

Ladle chili over spaghetti and serve with toppings of your choice.

Shredded chedder cheese

chopped onion

Kidney beans

The spices go in with the meat.

And now the cocoa.

The remaining ingredients go into the sauce.

This is a rich and complex sauce.

This is not a one or even a two note sauce.

And forget the idea that spice equals heat.

Cincinnati Bowl - chili in a bowl - duh!

Two Way - chili and spaghetti

Three Way - chili, spaghetti and cheese

Four Way - chili, spaghetti, cheese and onions

Five Way - chili, spaghetti, cheese, onion and beans

We had the four way, natch.

There is just something comforting about a good chili on a cold, rainy day.

Goop indeed.

Heathens.