Week 1: Cincinnati vs. Baltimore

Since my wife is a Cincinnati native and I was a 9-year resident, we were excited to kick off our Monday night ritual with some Cincinnati chili. If you've never tried Cincinnati chili, you'll never get it as good as Skyline chili (though I do enjoy Price Hill chili for my non-chain variety). The traditional way to eat this chili is over spaghetti, and topped with diced white onion (raw), optional kidney beans (heated separately), and VERY generously topped with shredded cheddar cheese. For the full Skyline experience, have oyster crackers ready and eat them with some hot sauce as an app/side dish. Then, put the crackers and hot sauce on the chili and spaghetti.

THE RECIPE (courtesy my friends Brian and Jessica)
Chili

2teaspoons table salt or more to taste

1 1/2pounds ground beef chuck

2tablespoons vegetable oil

2medium onions, chopped fine (about 2 cups)

2medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)

2tablespoons chili powder

2teaspoons dried oregano

2teaspoons cocoa

1 1/2teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2teaspoon ground allspice

1/4teaspoon ground black pepper

2cups low-sodium chicken broth

2cups water

2tablespoons cider vinegar

2teaspoons dark brown sugar

2cups tomato sauce

Hot pepper sauce

Accompaniments
1pound spaghetti, cooked, drained, and tossed with 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter

12ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1can red kidney beans (15-ounce), drained, rinsed, and warmed

1medium white onion, chopped fine (about 1 cup)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. FOR THE CHILI: Bring 2 quarts of water and 1 teaspoon of the salt to
a boil in a large saucepan. Add the ground chuck, stirring vigorously
to separate the meat into individual strands. As soon as the foam from
the meat rises to the top (this takes about 30 seconds) and before the
water returns to a boil, drain the meat into a strainer and set it
aside.


2. Rinse and dry the empty saucepan. Set the pan over medium heat and
add the oil. When the oil is warm, add the onions and cook, stirring
frequently, until the onions are soft and browned around the edges, about
8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir
in the chili powder, oregano, cocoa, cinnamon, cayenne, allspice, black
pepper, and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring constantly,
until the spices are fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the broth,
water, vinegar, sugar, and tomato sauce, scraping the pan bottom to remove
any browned bits.


3. Add the blanched ground beef and increase the heat to high. As soon as the liquid boils, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the chili is deep red and has thickened slightly, about 1 hour. Adjust the seasonings, adding salt and hot pepper sauce to taste. (The chili can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat before serving.)


4. TO SERVE: Divide the buttered spaghetti among individual bowls.



OUR ALTERATIONS: We substituted Morning Star Grillers Crumbles for the ground beef.

THE VERDICT (Him): I missed both the texture and the fat added from ground beef. In general, I don't think the crumbles affected the taste TOO much, but as soon as you bit into a piece, you knew it wasn't ground beef. All in all, worth making again.

(Her): Daniella found the chili a little too spicy. She's very sensitive to spice, so we might reduce the cayenne pepper in the recipe next time.

For next week: Atlanta vs. Denver. We'll be making Denver omelet, Denver Green Chili and a quick peach cobbler for dessert.
Spoon the chili over the spaghetti and top with the cheese, beans, and
onion. Serve immediately.