Cincinnati Chili with Spaghetti
By America's Test KitchenPublished on October 26, 2011
Yield
Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
Chili
2 teaspoons table salt or more to taste1 ½ pounds ground beef chuck 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 medium onions, chopped fine (about 2 cups)2 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)2 tablespoons chili powder 2 teaspoons dried oregano 2 teaspoons cocoa 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper ½ teaspoon ground allspice ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth 2 cups water 2 tablespoons cider vinegar 2 teaspoons dark brown sugar 2 cups tomato sauce hot pepper sauceAccompaniments
1 pound spaghetti, cooked, drained, and tossed with 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter12 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded1 can red kidney beans (15-ounce), drained, rinsed, and warmed1 medium white onion, chopped fine (about 1 cup)Before You Begin
Choose a relatively plain tomato sauce—nothing too spicy or herbaceous. To warm the kidney beans, simmer them in water to cover for several minutes and then drain.
Instructions
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.)
- Divide the buttered spaghetti among individual bowls. Spoon the chili over the spaghetti and top with the cheese, beans, and onion. Serve immediately.
for the chili
to serve
Yield
Serves 6 to 8Ingredients
Chili
2 teaspoons table salt or more to taste
1 ½ pounds ground beef chuck
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium onions, chopped fine (about 2 cups)
2 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons cocoa
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups water
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
2 cups tomato sauce
hot pepper sauce
Accompaniments
1 pound spaghetti, cooked, drained, and tossed with 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
12 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 can red kidney beans (15-ounce), drained, rinsed, and warmed
1 medium white onion, chopped fine (about 1 cup)
Ingredients
Chili
2 teaspoons table salt or more to taste
1 ½ pounds ground beef chuck
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium onions, chopped fine (about 2 cups)
2 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons cocoa
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups water
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
2 cups tomato sauce
hot pepper sauce
Accompaniments
1 pound spaghetti, cooked, drained, and tossed with 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
12 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 can red kidney beans (15-ounce), drained, rinsed, and warmed
1 medium white onion, chopped fine (about 1 cup)
Ingredients
Chili
2 teaspoons table salt or more to taste
1 ½ pounds ground beef chuck
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium onions, chopped fine (about 2 cups)
2 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons cocoa
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups water
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
2 cups tomato sauce
hot pepper sauce
Accompaniments
1 pound spaghetti, cooked, drained, and tossed with 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
12 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 can red kidney beans (15-ounce), drained, rinsed, and warmed
1 medium white onion, chopped fine (about 1 cup)
Why This Recipe Works
This Cincinnati specialty is an unusual marriage of American chili and spices more commonly used throughout the Middle East and Mediterranean. For an easy weeknight meal, we wanted to pare the list of ingredients down to the essentials without compromising the distinctive character of the dish. The beef in Cincinnati chili isn’t sautéed like the beef in other chilis, so there is no way to remove the fat. To avoid greasiness, we blanched ground chuck for half a minute, which got rid of most of the fat but still left plenty of flavor.
The spices used in this chili vary from recipe to recipe. We settled on a limited palette starring chili powder, oregano, cinnamon, and cocoa powder, which we bloomed in hot oil for more depth of flavor. Water and tomato sauce are the traditional base for the sauce; we added chicken broth for balance. Vinegar and brown sugar livened things up. After a long simmer, the chili was ready to be served, and we couldn’t think of a better way to do it than over spaghetti, topped with cheddar cheese, chopped onions, and kidney beans (a combination known as a “five-way”).
Before You Begin
Choose a relatively plain tomato sauce—nothing too spicy or herbaceous. To warm the kidney beans, simmer them in water to cover for several minutes and then drain.
Instructions
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.)
- Divide the buttered spaghetti among individual bowls. Spoon the chili over the spaghetti and top with the cheese, beans, and onion. Serve immediately.
for the chili
to serve
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