Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Cincinnati Chili

This is a 'different' recipe, but both Chris and I love it. He ate this all the time on his mission. It's one of those great things that you can make the day before and then heat up the next day - it's better after it sits overnight. Perfect to make on a Saturday and then eat for Sunday dinner.

Ingredients:
1 T vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onion, divided into two half cups
2 pounds ground beef
1/3 cup chili powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 bay leaf (or 1 teaspoon dried chopped bay leaves)
1 ounce unsweetened baking chocolate
2 (10.5 ounce) cans beef broth
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/2 cup shredded cheese
1 package spaghetti

Directions:
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add half of the onion (1/2 cup, not the full cup) and cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about six minutes.
Add beef and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until browned. Drain off excess fat.
Add chili powder, cinnamon, cumin, cloves, allspice, bay leaf, chocolate, beef broth, tomato sauce, cider vinegar, and cayenne pepper. Stir to mix well. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Cover and allow to simmer for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
Refrigerate overnight (optional).
Remove the bay leaf (if whole). Reheat over medium heat (or in the microwave). Serve over hot, drained spaghetti. Top with cheese and the remaining chopped onion (if desired).

Prep Time: 20 minutes, plus 1 1/2 hours of simmering, and then refrigerating overnight.

Servings:
6-8, depending on portion size.

4 comments:

Chris J. said...

Good Cincinnati Chili alone makes the trip to Ohio worth it.

Alicia said...

uh, I don't know how I feel about chocolate in my chili... It would ruin my chocolate. I'm willing to give it a try though.

Lesley said...

I can vouch for this one too. "Different" is right, though.

Question: How does one drain off fat? (on the ground beef, I mean. But I would like to know how to get rid of the rest of this fat, too, if you have any ideas.)

Chris J. said...

The easiest way to drain the fat is to put the pan on an angle. Move all of the meat to the high side and let all of the fat drain to the low side. Then just use a spoon to scoop the grease out into something you can throw away (not down the sink).